NY attorney Margaret Burt to receive Juvenile Justice Award

Nora A. Jones

One New York attorney receives the Stephanie Kupferman Juvenile Justice Award each year from the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York. This year the honor goes to Margaret A. Burt, a founding member of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys and a dedicated advocate for juvenile justice. She will receive the award during the WBASNY annual convention on May 13.

This annual award was established in 1999 and named in honor of WBASNY member, Stephanie E. Kupferman. It is given each year to a WBASNY member who has shown outstanding achievement in legal matters involving juveniles over a period of three or more years, as a prosecutor, defense attorney or law guardian.

Since completing law school in 1979, Burt has devoted her legal career to helping children in virtually every arena of the juvenile legal system. From foster care, adoptions, child custody and child support, to juvenile delinquency, child abuse and child neglect cases, Burt has helped countless children and trained hundreds of colleagues in matters related to representing children. In 2004, she conducted training and workshops for private and government attorneys throughout the United States totaling nearly 150 training days.

While the late Justice Dolores Denman was alive, Burt was awarded the Presiding Justice Denman Award by the New York State Supreme Court, Fourth Appellate Department, for unique contributions to the standards of excellence in the representation of children. It is obvious that her dedication has not wavered as she continues to handle complex custody disputes, adoptions from foster care, and numerous legal proceedings in her solo practice, and makes time to lecture, write, and consult on juvenile justice matters. She also advocates for legislation to ensure protection and fair representation of minors.

In the letter nominating Burt for the Kupferman Award, her colleagues noted, Margaret's life-long work involves matters that are often demanding and painful and frequently have difficult outcomes. For this reason, it is not unusual for child welfare attorneys to burn out after a few years and move on to less stressful areas of the law. Margaret, however, persists. Her passion for protecting children has impelled her to keep fighting to remove children from untenable living situations and to give children a meaningful voice in the juvenile justice system.

The nomination goes on to state that Burt is also passionate about training young lawyers and advocates around the country to follow in her footsteps. As she has put it, when she teaches a young lawyer how to introduce a photograph of the burned hand of a child, or when she teaches experienced attorneys about 'shaken baby syndrome,' hundreds of children will be helped by her efforts.

Burt's Career

After earning a double degree (with distinction) in history and political science at the State University of New York at Fredonia, Burt attended the University at Buffalo School of Law, completing her degree in 1979. She was admitted to the New York bar in 1980 and worked for the Monroe County Public Defender's Office for eight years.

From 1980 to 1983, Burt represented criminal defendants on misdemeanors, felonies and violent felonies in all phases of criminal trial practice from arraignment and bail through motions, pleas and trial. From 1983 to 1988, she represented indigent parents in Monroe County Family Court cases involving child abuse and neglect, family violence offenses, custody, support and visitation.

In 1988, Burt became first deputy county attorney with the Monroe County Law Department. In this position she supervised 33 county employees who handled matters before Monroe County Family Court, including child neglect and abuse, foster care and adoption issues, juvenile delinquency, paternity and child support and termination of parental rights. Handling her own case load, Burt was also responsible for training her staff and participated in policy making for her division of county government.

Since 1992, Burt has conducted a private law practice, concentrating in trial and appellate work regarding child welfare. With much experience behind her, she handles child abuse and neglect matters as well as adoptions, parental rights terminations, custody and visitation cases. In 2004, she finalized over 70 children's adoptions from foster care.

Lectures And Training

Serving as a national lecturer and consultant, Burt has trained and written for the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law. She has helped to design and present training for specialized trial skills for child welfare attorneys. In addition, she has provided technical assistance and consultation to states and agencies on legislative issues and agency legal office management.

Since 1989, Burt has reviewed and provided commentary on virtually all pending New York State legislation relative to family court and other social services issues. She is directly involved in drafting and passing new child welfare legislation and she serves as a consultant to the New York Public Welfare Association.

The New York State University Research Foundation also calls upon Burt for guidance on child protective issues, permanency planning issues, and many related matters. She has trained caseworkers and foster care workers in basic and advanced programs relating to child protection.

Burt also works with family court judges across the state and trains law guardians in the Third and Fourth Appellate Departments.

So if you see Burt in the next few weeks, a tip of the hat or a round of applause might be in order to congratulate her on her expertise, stamina, optimism, enthusiasm and the impact those qualities have had on child welfare in New York in the last two decades.

Copyright 2005 Dolan Media Newswires
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.