search
Go beyond jury charges to leverage PJI for pleadings, discovery, and summary judgment strategy.
This program offers a behind-the-scenes look at how New York's Pattern Jury Instructions (PJI) are reviewed, debated, and updated each year, with a special focus on the revisions included in the 2026 edition. Participants will learn practical strategies for using the PJI effectively at every stage of litigation—pre-trial, trial, and post-trial—to strengthen arguments and preserve issues.
The content covers specific legal areas including premises liability, animal liability, and spoliation of evidence, while emphasizing the importance of timely objections to jury charges and verdict sheets to preserve appellate rights. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of both the substance and the process that shape this essential litigation resource.
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.
Retired Justice, Franklin County Supreme Court
David Demarest was a justice for the Franklin County Supreme Court and the St. Lawrence County Supreme Court in the 4th Judicial District of New York. He was first elected as a justice of the court in 1994. He was re-elected in 2008. Demarest retired from the bench on July 29, 2015. Demarest received his B.S. degree from St. Lawrence University in 1970 and his J.D. from the Albany Law School of Union University in 1973, respectively. Demarest began his career in 1974 as a private practice lawyer. He worked under the title "David Demarest, Attorney at Law," until 1983. He then served as a principal law clerk through 1993. In 1994, Demarest was elected to the Franklin County Supreme Court.
Attorney at The Law Offices of Seth M. Weinberg, PLLC
After graduating from Touro, Seth began his law career as a litigation associate at one of Long Island’s largest law firms, eventually becoming the firm’s head of the appellate unit. He then joined a boutique law firm dedicated to handling appeals and litigation strategy and became a partner at that firm. In addition to his practice, Seth has served on several committees. He is a Reporter for the New York State Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions (Civil), and a member of the Association of Supreme Court Justices, where he helps revise the PJI. He was also a member of NYSBA’s CPLR Committee and a former co-chair of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee.
Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, Commercial Division, Onondaga County
The Honorable Deborah H. Karalunas obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1978 and graduated cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 1982. Following law school, Karalunas clerked for United States District Court Judge Howard G. Munson in the Northern District of New York. In 1983, Karalunas joined the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King in Syracuse, New York, where she later became a partner. In 2002, Karalunas was elected to serve as a Supreme Court Justice in the 5th Judicial District. She presides over a wide range of civil cases, including commercial, personal injury, medical malpractice, intellectual property, constitutional, and environmental matters. In 2007, Karalunas was appointed Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, Commercial Division, Onondaga County. She also serves as Chair of the 5th Judicial District Women in the Courts Committee.