Putting the PRO in Protocol: Nassau & Queens Court Update

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.

Carolyn is a partner at Salenger Sack Kimmel & Bavaro where her practice is primarily focused on medical malpractice cases involving individuals who have sustained serious injuries due to the negligence of medical professionals. She has received a number of noteworthy recognitions, including consecutive Best Lawyers in Medical Malpractice awards, and has been recognized as a New York Super Lawyer since 2016. Carolyn serves as the Vice President for the New York City Trial Lawyers Alliance, Vice President for the Long Island chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, serves on the Board of Directors at the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association, and is a Past President of the Academy.

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.

Steve brings his vigorous courtroom advocacy and extensive knowledge of personal injury and medical malpractice law to the Kohan Law Group, following his experience at a prominent law firm. Steve focuses on automobile accidents, construction site accidents, product liability, premises liability, and medical malpractice, priding himself on his involvement in each case from inception to resolution. Steve is licensed to practice law in New York State and federal courts. Steve’s energy, passion, and unwavering dedication to advocating for his clients have earned him numerous recognitions, including the Top 100 Plaintiffs’ Personal Injury acknowledgment and the Top 40 Under 40 Award from The National Trial Lawyers. He has also been appointed to the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers Associate Board, as Vice Chair of the Nassau County Bar Association’s Plaintiffs’ Personal Injury Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Board of the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut Chapter of the Armenian Bar Association. Additionally, Steve has been named in the Long Island Business News 40 Under 40, a New York Metro Super Lawyer in 2024, and a Rising Star for six consecutive years. He received the Long Island Top Professional 30 Under 30 Award from the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, was named a 20 Under 40 Rising Star by the Armenian Bar Association, and received a Certificate of Recognition from the Armenian Bar Association. Steve has taught numerous CLE courses with the Nassau County Bar Association and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. Recently, he and Adam Zabary co-presented on the subject of Notice of Claims for both organizations.