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Inside the courtroom: How Nassau and Suffolk County judges are reshaping trial procedures and expectations.
Hear directly from the new Trial Assignment Part and Supervising Judges in Nassau County and the current TAP/Supervising Judge in Suffolk as they step up to the mic to discuss the evolving rules, procedures, and expectations shaping today's courtroom.
From part rules and motion practice to trial preferences, practical pitfalls, and a few candid pet peeves, this program offers an inside look at what the bench wants—and what lawyers should avoid. Come for the insight, stay for the strategy.
Topics Covered:
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.
Judge of Supreme Court of Nassau & Suffolk County, New York
Judge Cozzens has over 30 years of trial experience—first as a trial attorney in the New York metropolitan area and, since 1998, as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court. For the past six years, Judge Cozzens has been the presiding judge in the Trial Assignment Part of the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola. In the Trial Assignment Part, he oversees the assignment of trial judges for all jury and non-jury trials. The trial calendar in this part can range from 50 to 100 cases daily. Judge Cozzens also addresses new panels of jurors daily, discussing the jury selection process and jury trial procedures with them. He is also an adjunct professor of law at Hofstra University School of Law. He teaches a practical skills course, Pre-Trial Skills, in which students learn to apply their knowledge of the law to the practical, day-to-day work of a litigation lawyer. He is also a regular Continuing Legal Education (CLE) instructor with the Nassau County and New York State Bar Associations and the National Business Institute. While in private practice, he served as chairman of the Insurance Law and Municipal Law Committees of the Nassau County Bar Association. In his community, he has coached in the North Shore and Oyster Bay-East Norwich Soccer Clubs and the Glen Head-Glenwood Little League. Judge Cozzens is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association and the Nassau County Women’s Bar Association. Judge Cozzens grew up in Tonawanda, New York. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from Pace University School of Law. He is married to Mary Ann Meyer of Roslyn, New York.
Judge at New York State Supreme Court
Judge Rhonda Fischer was first elected to the bench in 2007 and in 2022 she was appointed Acting Justice of the Supreme Court. She currently sits in the DCM Trial Part of the Nassau County Supreme Court and presides over a civil caseload. She has had numerous cases published, is a frequent lecturer and keynote speaker, and judges educational mock trial tournaments. Judge Fischer sits on the Board of Directors for the Nassau County Jewish Lawyers Association and was appointed to the Board of Advisors for the Center for Children, Families and the Law. She was also honored by the Fire Marshal Benevolent Association and The Syosset/Woodbury Chamber of Commerce.
Judge at New York State Supreme Court
Judge Ricigliano has served on the Nassau County bench since 2002 and was appointed the Supervising Judge of the Nassau County Supreme Court in January 2026. He also serves as Chair of the 2nd Dept. Panel of the NYS Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics. Judge Ricigliano is a frequent lecturer, and he also meets with members of the deaf and hard of hearing community on matters concerning available accommodations and accessibility of the court system. He is the author of numerous published legal decisions and articles and has served as a Special Professor of Law at several universities and law schools. He has also served as a member of numerous charitable organizations.
Judge at New York State Supreme Court
Justice Whelan is a Supreme Court Justice and Supervising Judge of the Supreme Court Civil Parts. As Supervising Judge, he assigns trials and oversees 23 judges handling civil matters while also presiding over a foreclosure part. A graduate of Columbia University and Brooklyn Law School, he was elected to the bench in 2000. He started his career as a law clerk and later was the Town Attorney for the Town of Babylon. He spent nine years in private practice concentrating in environmental law, zoning, and commercial matters. He is a chapter editor of the Bench Book for Trial Judges, published by Thomson Reuters, and is also Chief of the Wading River Volunteer Fire Department and an EMT.