The George W. and Jean H. Pugh Institute for Justice will present “Access to Justice: How Lawyers Can Aid Vulnerable Victims” at LSU Law on Friday, Oct. 27.
The symposium will take place in the McKernan Auditorium from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn one hour of Continuing Legal Education credit. Those who wish to report their attendance for Louisiana CLE credit should RSVP here.
Elizabeth Cronin, Director of the New York State Office of Victim Services, Elyse Lazansky, Town Court Justice and associate court attorney, and Lisa Linsky, a partner in the New York office of McDermott Will & Emery, will be the featured speakers.
Cronin was appointed in 2013 to lead the New York State Office of Victim Services, which funds and supports more than 200 victim assistance programs that provide services like crisis counseling, advocacy, emergency shelter, civil legal assistance, and relocation assistance to victims and survivors and their families. Prior to her appointment, Cronin specialized in the prosecution of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and sex crimes and was the Director of the Office of Legal Affairs for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She has tried all levels of felonies and worked closely with crime victims. Cronin is a published author and frequent public speaker on legal and administrative topics, including prosecuting domestic violence cases, immigration law, and evidence.
Lazansky is the Town Court Justice for the town of North Castle and an associate court attorney for the New York City Criminal Court. She previously served for over 20 years as the Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County in the Special Prosecution Division, where she prosecuted felony and misdemeanor crimes of sexual and physical assaults (all ages), child and elder abuse, and family and intimate partner violence. In that role, she also trained police officers, victim-witness staff and volunteers, social workers, child protection and domestic violence workers, students, and parents on the proper way to deal with these types of issues in their various roles. As Town Justice, Lazansky presides over all town court criminal and civil cases. She is also a trainer and consultant to local schools on Campus Sexual Assault and Prevention and Title IX issues.
Linsky is the founder and head of McDermott’s Institutional Sexual Misconduct Response Team (SMRT). She leads a team of 12 attorneys who assist clients in navigating high-profile and sensitive sexual assault and abuse matters, including Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act cases. Linsky draws on her experience as a seasoned prosecutor with a trauma-informed background when investigating and litigating such matters. She is an accomplished public speaker and has trained members of law enforcement, the judiciary, mental health professionals, teachers and parents on the identification and prevention of child sexual abuse. Before joining McDermott, she was a criminal prosecutor for 15 years and handled matters involving sexual assault, abuse, and misconduct.
Founded in 1998, the George W. and Jean H. Pugh Institute for Justice provides support for research and educational activities that promote justice for individuals in the administration of the criminal and civil justice systems in Louisiana and elsewhere. Based at LSU Law, the Institute regularly sponsors symposia, with the help of students, community members, and public interest organizations, that bring speakers to the LSU campus who enrich public dialogue related to the achievement and protection of individual rights.
