Hon. Michael Coccoma has been appointed deputy chief administrative judge for courts outside New York City within the New York State Unified Court System.

He has been administrative judge of the 6th judicial district since 2008. A former Otsego County district attorney, Coccoma was first elected to the bench in 1995 as a judge of the Otsego County's Family, County and Surrogate's courts. He was appointed acting state Supreme Court judge in 2000 and elected to state Supreme Court in 2008.

Coccoma is a current member of the New York State Matrimonial Commission; the Law Guardian Advisory and Rules Committee for the Appellate Division, 3rd Department; the Otsego County Children's Center Committee; and the state's Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee.

Elmore moves to Brown Chiari

John Elmore, most recently a partner at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, has joined the personal-injury law firm Brown Chiari LLP as senior trial counsel. Elmore will focus his practice on plaintiffs' personal-injury and criminal cases.

Elmore has spent most of his career as a criminal defense lawyer, beginning in 1989.

In his three-year tenure at Harter Secrest, Elmore focused on labor litigation. He said he leaves the firm with fond memories and on the best of terms.

"For most of my career I've been a trial attorney," he said. "I've tried a lot of major criminal cases, and I got to the point where I just really missed the courtroom."

He said the decision to make the switch wasn't an easy one.

"I had several law firms interested in me because of my litigation experience," he said. "But in the end, I felt that Brown Chiari was a good match."

Elmore also spent six years serving on the 8th Judicial District Attorney Grievance Committee, overseeing investigations of possible misconduct by lawyers. He chaired the committee for four and a half years before his second three-year term expired at the end of April.

An Olean native, Elmore has served as a New York state trooper and New York City prosecutor,

His first day with Brown Chiari is Monday.

New Grievance Committee chair

Attorney Michael Mohun has been appointed chairman of the Attorney Grievance Committee for the 8th Judicial District. He is a solo practitioner in Cowlesville, in Wyoming County.

The committee is made up of 21 members, three of whom are not lawyers. It is charged with investigating complaints involving allegations of misconduct by attorneys.

Also appointed to the committee from Erie County were Laurie Styka Bloom, Thomas Keefe and Sheldon Smith.

DiTullio, Ogden on 8JD awards slate

The sixth Women in the Law Award Luncheon will be held Wednesday, June 24. The event is sponsored by the 8th Judicial District Gender and Racial Fairness Committee.

The following women will be recognized for their contributions to the bench, the bar and the community at the event, which begins at noon at the Hyatt Recency in downtown Buffalo:

• Hon. Sheila Ditullio, Erie County Court Judge

• Elizabeth Rodrigues Fildes of the Erie County Sheriff's Office

• Betty Jean Grant, Erie County legislator, District 7

• Leslie Haggstrom, assistant county attorney for Allegany County

• Hon. E. Jeannette Ogden, Buffalo City Court judge

• Marie Villari, senior management analyst

Honored posthumously will be Mary Burnett Talbert (1866-1923), civil-rights pioneer and activist, and Hon. Betsy Hurley (1936-2008), the first woman to serve as Lockport City Court judge.

For more information, call 845-2514.

Paterson reappoints 9 to Court of Claims

Gov. David Paterson nominated nine Court of Claims judges for reappointment.

They are: Hon. Mark Cohen; Hon. Judith Hard; Hon. James Kindler; Hon. Albert Lorenzo; Hon. Roger McDonough; Hon. Juan Merchan; Hon. John Michalski; Hon. Joseph Pastoressa; and Hon. Maxwell Wiley.

-Compiled by Matt Chandler