Breaking Bias: Real World Scenarios for Lawyers and Judges

The NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers is the largest statewide trial bar in the US with 5,700+ lawyer and judge members. We are committed to protecting, preserving and enhancing the civil justice system. Our highly acclaimed CLE programming features extraordinary presenters covering the most timely and important topics.

Robert I. Gruber, a former Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County, New York, is in private practice and concentrates on personal injury litigation. During his more than 34 years of military service, he was a judge advocate in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps and edited and primarily authored the Air National Guard Commander’s Legal Deskbook, a 1,300-page practical guide for commanders and judge advocates, updated for 30 years. As the Air National Guard Assistant to the Judge Advocate General (TJAG) of the United States Air Force, he was responsible for training and readiness for mobilization and worldwide deployment of the nation’s nearly 400 Air National Guard judge advocates and paralegals. During his tenure as ANG Assistant to TJAG, he created three practical courses for judge advocates, commanders, and their staffs, and newly appointed senior commanders that have been institutionalized and conducted several times each year. In recognition of his creative and innovative teaching techniques, the United States Air Force annually bestows upon a deserving Air National Guard judge advocate or paralegal the "Major General Robert I. Gruber Excellence in Teaching Award."

Lambros Y. Lambrou is the founder and driving force behind Lambrou Law PLLC, a respected law practice that has blossomed from a humble start to become an award-winning law firm, recognized as one of the Best Law Firms of America. Mr. Lambrou’s unwavering dedication to his clients, combined with his exceptional legal acumen and his never-ending desire to excel, has positioned the Lambrou Law firm at the top of the legal landscape. As a senior attorney, he specializes in all types of substantial and catastrophic personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, and civil rights issues for the disabled in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, and across the United States. Lambros' relentless advocacy and pursuit of justice have resulted in millions of dollars in recoveries for his clients, including landmark cases.

Hadley E. Lundback litigates cases involving medical device and pharmaceutical liability, consumer protection, toxic torts, medical malpractice, and catastrophic personal injury. She has extensive experience handling complex litigation, including serving in court-appointed leadership positions in multi-district litigation (MDL) in federal court and multi-county litigation (MCL) in New Jersey. Hadley oversees the firm's defective drug, medical device, and consumer protection practices. Since joining Faraci Lange in 2010, Hadley has handled a wide range of cases. She is Co-Lead counsel in the Excellus Data Breach class action litigation and serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Bard IVC Filter MDL. Most recently, Hadley was appointed to represent plaintiffs as Co-Lead Interim Class Counsel in the Hoosick Falls water-contamination lawsuit. Hadley and Faraci Lange, LLP have been appointed as Liaison Counsel in a shareholder derivative suit filed against Eastman Kodak Company in the Western District of New York.

Angélicque is Founding Partner at Avanzino & Moreno. She is an accomplished and passionate trial attorney, with over 25 years of experience representing injured victims, who has taken on insurance companies in a wide variety of automotive, workplace, medical malpractice, and wrongful death actions. She is a graduate of Binghamton University and Northeastern University School of Law. She has held several esteemed and prominent positions, including the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary, President of the NYS Puerto Rican Bar Association, and is a Past-President of the Academy.

Christina Sonsire is a partner at the Ziff Law Firm in Elmira, New York where she represents plaintiffs in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Christina currently serves on the Academy's Board of Directors as Vice President for the Third Department. She also sits on the Judicial Screening Committee, responsible for interviewing candidates for the New York State Court of Appeals and making recommendations to the Governor. Christina attended law school at the University of Montana, was an undergraduate soccer star at Georgetown University and has always been involved with public service.

Michael Reiner is a partner at Schwartzapfel Lawyers P.C. who fights for individuals who have been seriously injured due to the negligence of others. Through his tireless determination and his unique advocacy skills, Mike has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of his clients in construction site accident, personal injury, and wrongful death claims, which have earned him membership in the exclusive Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Ronald W. Gill received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in 1981, where he studied English and Cultural Studies. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1985. There, he was the recipient of the Kottler Scholarship (essay competition) in 1982. In 1996, he began his career as a litigator with the firm of Stark and Paino, LLP. A few years later, he joined the defense litigation firm of Joseph Conklin, LLP, where he honed his skills and became a highly successful litigator, having tried over 30 cases. In 2000, he started his own law firm specializing in general defense litigation and New York State Labor Law-construction accident cases. Within a few years, his success was evident as he became trial counsel to several leading insurance carriers, as well as many large corporations. His clients included, among others, Allstate Insurance Co., Statewide Insurance Company, Royal Sun Alliance, Greyhound Bus Lines, and the Nederlander Corporation. During this time, he also served as Outside Trial Counsel to FORTUNATO & FORTUNATO, PLLC, obtaining several million-dollar-plus verdicts and settlements for our clients. Ronald rejoined Fortunato & Fortunato, PLLC in 2011 as an in-house Trial Counsel, after recently serving as Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia, where he defended the District against constitutional law claims. Ronald is licensed to practice law in the State of New York, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia, and is a member of the New York State, District of Columbia, and Massachusetts Bar Associations.