DIY Star Award Recipients December 2010

DIY Star Award

Star  Nassau County Supreme Court Information Center

Star  Nassau County Supreme Court Library Staff


DIY Stars!

The Nassau County Supreme Court Library staff and Court Information Center staff received the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program's DIY Star Award for their efforts promoting and assisting unrepresented litigants with the Name Change Petition DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Form program.  This is the first Supreme Court in the state to receive the prestigious DIY Star Award!

On December 10, 2010, an award ceremony was held at the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola, New York. NYS Courts Access to Justice Program Director Judge Fern A. Fisher, Nassau County Administrative Justice Anthony Marano, and NYS Courts Access to Justice Program Chief Counsel Rochelle Klempner, all spoke about the recipients’ outstanding efforts furthering equal access to justice.

The recently re-vamped Court Information Center is located in the Nassau County Supreme Court library. Both the Library staff and the Court Information Center staff assist the public with the DIY Forms programs (in addition to all the other legal assistance they provide). Both staffs are a credit to the court system. The DIY User Surveys returned evidence the exemplary service that the staffs have been providing.(See extracts from User Surveys quoted below).

The Help Center staff is overseen by Deputy Chief Clerk Cheryl Davis. During the development phase of the Adult Name Change DIY Form program, Cheryl assisted the NYS Courts Access to Justice Program by testing early prototypes and contributing valuable feedback. She was instrumental in getting the program working for Nassau County litigants.

Our Nassau County DIY Stars include: The Court Information Center staff - Mary Gallagher, Paul Paoli, Barbara Mitchell and Susan VanOmmeren (and recently retired Dennis Mehr), and the Library staff - Jean Paul Vivian, Osei-Iwan Organ, Mary Maloney, Darlene Rizzo, Kevin Pabon, Marie Nikolaidis, Sonia Gallonoe, and Norman Karin. Read what Chief Clerk Kathryn Hopkins had to say about the Court Information Center staff. These individuals are all DIY Stars because of their commitment to facilitating usage of the Adult Name Change program.

Judge Anthony Marano and Judge Fern Fisher

Judge Anthony Marano and Judge Fern Fisher

 
 

View the photo gallery of the awards presentation.

 
 

Read a sampling of what litigants had to say about their DIY experience in the Nassau County Supreme Court's Help Center

"The two officers that helped me were excellent and professional. They guided me through the process." - Adult Name Change Program, November 18, 2010

"The staff at the 100 Supreme Court Drive help desk were quite pleasant and extremely helpful." - Name Change Program, October 18, 2010

"The woman that helped me in the library was nice and patient. Very helpful and made this experience a pleasure!" - Name Change Program, August 31, 2010

"The staff here was extremely helpful and friendly both over the phone and in person. I was quite impressed with their professionalism." - Name Change Program, July 15, 2010

"Employees were extremely helpful." - Name Change, July 1,, 2010

"Jose Salas gave all the attention. I really appreciate it. I wouldn't be able to do it without him." - Name Change Program, June 23, 2010

"This is great!!!!!. Very easy to use. The staff were also extremely helpful and courteous. They should be commended" - Name Change Program, May 11, 2010

"I was very satisfied with the program and the clerks that helped." - Name Change Program, March 26, 2010

"It is a great program! " - Name Change Program, November 11, 2009

"This was truly a great program; much easier to understand than the other papers." - Name Change Program, November 2, 2009

"This program was great. it was helpful and easy to use." - Name Change Program, September 9, 2009

"It was a great help - Name Change Program, August 17, 2009

"Very helpful!!!! Thank you." - Name Change Program, July 7, 2009