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Rapallo Recap

Please navigate to our Blog, here, to see a digital copy of our Rapallo Journal from the festivities.

New York State courts report on Columbian Lawyers Association’s Rapallo/Scalia Luncheon celebrating Hon. Joseph A. Zayas, Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System, on April 12, 2024.

Chief Administrative Judge Zayas Receives Charles A. Rapallo and Antonin Scalia Award

Chief Administrative Judge Zayas (front center) and distinguished guests at the Columbian Lawyers Association-First Judicial Department's 57th annual luncheon and award ceremony at Manhattan's Pierre Hotel. Photo by David Handshuh.

April 12, 2024
Pierre Hotel, Manhattan

Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas received the Charles A. Rapallo and Antonin Scalia Award at the Columbian Lawyers Association-First Judicial Department's 57th annual luncheon on April 12th in Manhattan. The award is given annually to judges and public servants of Italian-American heritage who embody the legal scholarship, temperament, and other fine qualities possessed by the two legal giants for whom this prestigious honor is named:  New York's first Italian-American Court of Appeals Associate Judge (1870-1887); and the nation's first Italian-American Supreme Court Associate Justice (1986-2016), respectively. Judge Zayas is the proud son of June Zanelli, whose parents immigrated from Genova, Italy.

"Throughout his career, Judge Zayas has consistently reflected the ethics, legal acumen, and sound judgment for which we remember Judge Rapallo," said the Association's president, Clara Flebus, in kicking off the annual event. The award was presented to Judge Zayas by Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, who appointed Judge Zayas as Chief Administrative Judge in May 2023 and graced the packed ballroom with a moving tribute to his appointee. Among some of the other event highlights were the New York State Courts' Ceremonial Unit's Presentation of Colors, an invocation by Father Séan Connolly of the Archdiocese of New York, and an Italian-American song set. Attendees included previous years' awardees and other distinguished members of New York's bench and bar.

The Columbian Lawyers Association-First Judicial Department was initially established in 1955 for lawyers of Italian-American descent, to fill a need for young lawyers to meet experienced attorneys. The Association is now open to lawyers, law graduates, and law students who share the goal of promoting Italian-American heritage. With this latest accolade, Judge Zayas adds his name to the list of eminent legal scholars, jurists, and public servants who have earned this high honor over the past five decades.

(Article republished with permission of the New York State courts)