Office 365
Melissa Livingston
Brooklyn,New York
Summary
Dedicated court attorney with 11+ years of legal experience in the NYS Unified Court System. Skilled at legal research and writing, training and development, advocacy, and fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. An honest, motivated, loyal, and committed public servant with a strong work ethic who loves process and firmly believes in providing equal access to justice for all. Lifelong learner with the ability to relate to and work with all stakeholders in the legal process, including administrative staff, court officers, attorneys, litigants, and New York State judges. Believes in helping others, volunteer work, community outreach, and mentorship.
Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Bar License
Work History
Associate Court Attorney to Judge, Hon. Pamela Patton Fynes
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
Brooklyn, NY
03.2024 - Current
- Work in NYC Civil Court, Kings County.
Associate Court Attorney to Judge, Hon. David A. Harris
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
Brooklyn, NY
01.2023 - 01.2024
- Work in NYC Civil Court, Housing Part, Kings County
- Conference, negotiate, and resolve a high volume of landlord-tenant nonpayment and holdover proceedings, in addition to alleged illegal lockout cases
- Handle up to 60 cases daily in the Resolution Part
- Partner with social service agencies to accommodate low-income populations, tenants facing mental health issues, and tenants that require Guardians Ad Litem
- Expediously make APS Referrals and contact other relevant social service agencies
- Review post-eviction Orders to Show Cause and Orders to Show Cause to vacate, restore, and relieve counsel
- Write legal decisions on current housing law issues, including ERAP, subsidized housing, succession rights, warranty of habitability, striking jury demands, motions to dismiss, summary judgment, and to compel discovery in summary proceedings
- Draft and review stipulations of settlement involving pro se litigants.
Counsel to Supervising Administrative Judge, Hon. Tamiko Amaker
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
New York, NY
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Advised the Supervising Judge of NYC Criminal Courts Citywide, supervising court attorneys and staff on the intricacies of legal statutes
- Researched, wrote, and presented memos summarizing changes to groundbreaking legal statutes in the areas of bail reform, gun initiatives, and Less is More legislation
- Collaborated with colleagues to develop a grant proposal in partnership with the Office of Court Administration expanding mental health court assessment services to prioritize service provision over jail time for individuals charged with misdemeanors, shoplifting, or sex trafficking, including those with histories of PTSD and domestic violence
- Managed five supervising court attorneys and their staff of 72 court attorneys
- Engaged staff at all levels, including those with a long tenure in the court system, in an inclusive, approachable manner
- Headed the court attorney subcommittee on the anti-bias and equal justice task force for the NYC Criminal Courts, working alongside attorneys who personally represent every category within the DEI spectrum
- Investigated and advocated for changes to the court system to better serve underrepresented litigants, such as adding multilingual signage, informational kiosks, and handicap-accessible railings
- Proposed revamping the complaint form and associated procedures for courthouse employees and litigants
- Moderated and organized citywide seminars of 300+ attendees, including criminal court judges, court attorneys, and clerks using MS Teams
- Seminar topics included breaking laws on bail reform, gun initiatives, mental health courts, and judicial wellness
- Organized the entire weekend/holiday arraignment schedule for 400+ judges using logic, leadership, and empathy to determine the optimal arrangement for everyone involved.
Principal Court Attorney to Judge, Hon. Melissa A. Crane
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
New York, NY
01.2013 - 01.2021
- Court Attorney to Supreme Court Judge Hon
- Melissa Crane for nine years as she advanced through the NYS Courts, providing expert assistance on commercial, civil, matrimonial, criminal law, and procedural matters
- Led 10+ high-level discovery conferences per day of 35+ attorneys focused on areas of commercial law, including commercial and contract law
- Reviewed 1,000+ pages/day and wrote two significant and legally nuanced decisions per week
- Refereed and resolved commercial disputes, made discovery rulings, interacted with the press, and helped with oral arguments
- Drafted a high volume of no-fault insurance decisions, putting Judge Crane in the top 3% of judges in clearing out their docket backlog
- Supervised and managed other court attorneys' work product and mentored many interns
- Achieved a 75% compliance rate for pre-trial cases to meet Standards and Goals
- Drafted decisions on complex motions, including contract law, Article 78 proceedings, FOIL Requests, and motions to confirm arbitration awards
- Thoroughly reviewed 50+ uncontested divorce proceedings per week
- Drafted decisions on motions to dismiss and summary judgment
- Gained a profound understanding of commercial real estate, construction litigation, forum selection clauses, small claims court, name changes, commercial landlord-tenant law, RPAPL scaffolding laws, and labor disputes
- Reviewed 50+ DWI cases/day
- Researched/drafted memoranda on various criminal law issues, including facial insufficiency and speedy trial.
Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Melissa Betancourt, P.C.
PRIVATE PRACTICE
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Won 80% of no-fault insurance cases at a firm specializing in medical provider clients
- Drafted 10-12 procedural and substantive motions per day
- Managed and delegated to a team of 10-12 paralegals
- Committed to representing clients with the utmost professionalism and dedication, delivering exceptional legal services, and achieving favorable client outcomes.
Education
Juris Doctor -
BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL
Brooklyn, NY01.2011
Bachelor of Arts in English -
VASSAR COLLEGE
Poughkeepsie, NY01.2008
Skills
- Civil Litigation
- Civil Procedure
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- DWI
- Landlord-Tenant Law
- Summary Proceedings
- Commercial Law
- Corporate Governance
- Contracts
- Commercial Real Estate
- Construction
- No-Fault Insurance
- Article 78 Special Proceedings
- Matrimonial and Family
- Employment Discrimination
- Labor Law
- Discovery Rules
- CPLR
- RPAPL
- Federal Rules
- Depositions
- Settlement
- Discovery, and Pretrial Court Conferencing
- Public Service
- Negotiation
- Trial Experience
- Courtroom Familiarity
- Legal Writing
- Legal Research
- Drafting Pleadings
- Motion Practice
- Working with Pro Se Litigants
- Arbitration
- Leadership
- Management
- Supervision
- Training
- Skill Development
- Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
- Policy
- Advocacy
- Analytical Skills
- MS Teams
- Scheduling
- Computer Literacy
- Employee Benefits
- Event Planning
- Fundraising
- Advertising
- Grants
- Multitasking
- Westlaw
- Technical and Creative Writing
- ESL, ELA, and Legal English Tutoring
- Lesson Planning
- Classroom Management
- Tennis Coach
- Career and Resume Counseling
- Westlaw expertise
- Court Procedures
- Legal writing
- Efficient researcher
- Court appointed mediation
- Criminal defense
- Document filing
- Commercial litigation experience
- Case analysis
- Case Management
- Primary authority research
- Oral argument
- Dispute arbitration
- Oral debate
- Court preparation
- Litigation Management
- Legal Analysis
- Administrative Support
- Client Counseling
- Employment law
- Evaluating contracts
- Breach of contract
- Legal evaluation
- Investigation skills
- Case interpretation
- Family law
- Residential real estate development
- Real Estate Law
- Argument writing
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Document Review
- Trial experience
- Reviewing documents
- Civil and criminal law expertise
- Discovery understanding
Affiliations
- NYC Bar Association: Member, Minorities in the Court Committee | Member, Housing Court Committee
- NYSBA: Member, Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Section
- Asian American Bar Association of New York ("AABANY")
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA")
- Brooklyn Bar Association ("BBA")
- Brooklyn Women's Bar Association ("BWBA")
Certification
TEFL 120-hr certification
Languages
- Elementary Mandarin
- Conversational Spanish
Hobbies and Interests
- Running marathons
- Critical race studies
- Tennis and hiking
- Tutoring non-native English speakers
- Punctuation
Volunteer Experience
- Part 137 Fee Dispute Resolution, Arbitrator
- New York City Civil Court, Equal Justice Implementation Kings County subcommittee member
Admissions
- New York, 2nd Dept
- Southern District of New York (SDNY), Federal Bar
Othercorecompetencies
- Leadership
- Management
- Supervision
- Training
- Skill Development
- Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
- Policy
- Advocacy
- Analytical Skills
- MS Teams
- Scheduling
- Computer Literacy
- Employee Benefits
- Event Planning
- Fundraising
- Advertising
- Grants
- Multitasking
- Westlaw
- Technical and Creative Writing
- ESL, ELA, and Legal English Tutoring
- Lesson Planning
- Classroom Management
- Tennis Coach
- Career and Resume Counseling
Timeline
Associate Court Attorney to Judge, Hon. Pamela Patton Fynes
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
03.2024 - Current
Associate Court Attorney to Judge, Hon. David A. Harris
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
01.2023 - 01.2024
Counsel to Supervising Administrative Judge, Hon. Tamiko Amaker
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
01.2022 - 01.2023
Principal Court Attorney to Judge, Hon. Melissa A. Crane
NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
01.2013 - 01.2021
Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Melissa Betancourt, P.C.
PRIVATE PRACTICE
01.2011 - 01.2012
Juris Doctor -
BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL
Bachelor of Arts in English -
VASSAR COLLEGE
Quote
Don't you dare underestimate the power of your own instinct.
Barbara Corcoran
Software
Languages
English
Native language
Chinese (Mandarin)
Beginner
A1
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