504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Judicial Candidate Michael L. Katz's 2008 response)

Candidate Name: Michael L. Katz

Candidate for: Civil Court, Countywide, New York County (Manhattan)

Campaign Name: Michael Katz for Civil Court

Campaign Address: Darrell L. Paster, Treasurer, 321 West 89th Street, Apt. 6, New York, NY 10024

If you have a campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? I do not have a campaign office.

Campaign Manager: Jerry Skurnik, Prime New York

Phone: 212 - 587 - 8080

Fax: 212 - 587 - 8095

E-mail: 2mlk @ netzero.net

Previous appointed offices held: I have served as a Principal Court Attorney in the Civil Court (1993-1994) and the Supreme Court (1994-Present) by appointment of the Hon. Barbara R. Kapnick.

Key endorsements: Executive Committee of the New York County Democratic Party

Community Organizations:

Ansonia Independent Democrats
Broadway Democrats
Gramercy Stuyvesant Independent Democrats
Park River Independent Democrats
Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City

Political leaders:

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
Assembly Member Jonathan L. Bing
Assembly Member Herman D. Farrell, Jr.
Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner
Assembly Member Keith L.T. Wright
former Assembly Member Sylvia Friedman
Council Member Alan J. Gerson
Council Member Jessica Lappin
Council Member Miguel Martinez

Please describe any experience with disability you have had in your life or career.

I worked during the summers of 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987 as a counselor in day camps for children with special needs, including children with physical, developmental and learning disabilities. From 1986 through 1989, while attending Brandeis University, I served as the Coordinator of the University's Big Brother/Big Sister Program. In this role, I worked closely with local school guidance counselors to identify children, including children with physical and/or learning disabilities, who could benefit from a mentoring relationship with a University student, to recruit volunteers and to plan recreational activities for program participants.

During the summers of 1986, 1988 and 1989, I worked at DOROT, a social service agency serving the needs of homebound elders living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where I planned inter-generational educational and recreational programs and helped to organize the agency's fledgling food delivery program. I also coordinated DOROT's summer internship program and was responsible for planning disability awareness training for students and volunteers and for ensuring that all sponsored events were physically accessible.

During law school, from June through August 1990 (on a full time basis) and from September 1990 through May 1991 (on a part time basis), I worked in the Cardozo Bet Tzedek Legal Services Clinic, where I represented elderly clients and clients with disabilities who were wrongfully denied government benefits and other entitlements.

From June through August 1991 (on a full time basis) and from September 1991 through May 1992 (approximately 20 hours/week), I worked at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, where I advocated on behalf of persons with developmental and/or physical disabilities who were subjected to discrimination in housing and employment. In addition, I conducted significant research on disability law issues in preparation for a conference on the then recently enacted Americans with Disabilities Act.

As a Principal Court Attorney for the past fifteen years, I have worked with the ADA Liaison for the Courthouse to ensure that reasonable accommodations were extended to all persons in attendance in our courtroom, including litigants, jurors and witnesses. I also served from 2002 through 2007 as a member of the Anti-Bias Committee of the Supreme Court. The Committee, in conjunction with court administrators and representatives of the Unified Court System's Advisory Committee of the Americans with Disabilities Act, discussed and addressed issues concerning the accessibility of the courthouse and the need to educate court employees about various devices and other resources available through the Court's Justiceworks Program to assist persons with visual and hearing impairments.
How will you incorporate people with disabilities into your campaign?

I am seeking volunteers of all abilities and talents to participate and/or assist in coordinating phone and street canvassing and other campaign activities.
If you are in private practice, is your office accessible to people with disabilities? If not, what have you done to ensure access?

Not Applicable
Is the courthouse in which you work accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities? If not, what have you done to ensure access?

The courthouse in which I work is accessible.
Has a person with a disability appeared before your court as a juror or litigant? If so, please indicate what, if any, challenges arose? And how were they handled?

Persons with disabilities, including persons using wheelchairs and individuals with visual and hearing disbabilities, have appeared in our courtroom. I, together with the courtroom staff and local ADA Liaison, worked to ensure that each indivual's needs were accommodated.
Do you believe that person who is deaf /hard of hearing or person who blind can serve as a juror? Why or why not?

Yes. I believe that persons with disabilities can and should serve as jurors with reasonable accommodations, such as assistant listening devices, sign language interpreters, and computerized real-time court reporting.
Are you willing to hire either on a job share or full time basis, a qualified law clerk/secretary with a disability?

Yes.
How will you work within the court structure to assure the accessibility of all facilities of the courts? For example, will you participate in the Committee for People with Disabilities, relevant training opportunities?

I would be happy to participate in a Committee for People with Disabilities and to take advantage of all relevant training opportunities.

Date: July 28, 2008

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