The Commission on Judicial Nomination has published a revised draft of proposed revisions to its rules for nominating candidates to the Court of Appeals.
The proposed changes, published in the New York State Register, include clarification of the duty of an interim chairperson; a provision for orientation sessions for new members; providing notice to civil and public-interest organizations that register with the commission; establishing a two-step application procedure as the commission’s preferred procedure for nomination; and further clarification of the commission’s voting procedure.
A 30-day public comment period ends  Jan. 30.
The draft revisions are available online at seenysegov.com/cjn.
Any comments on the revised rules should be sent to the commission’s counsel, Stephen Younger, at spyounger@pbwt.com.
The Western New York chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York is holding the second of its annual three-part Women in the Law series Jan. 13 from noon until 1:30 p.m. at Bar Association of Erie County headquarters, 438 Main St., 6th floor.
Scheduled participants in the panel discussion “Perspectives from Practitioners for Whom Law is a Second Career” are Steve Boyd of O’Brien Boyd PC, a former reporter with WKBW-TV; Mary Dee Martoche, chief clerk of Erie County Surrogate’s Court and a former English teacher; Sally Broad of Gibson McAskill & Crosby, a former nurse and health administrator; and Amber Storr of Damon Morey LLP, a former dance-studio owner.
To reserve a seat, call Betsy Harned at 852-5533.
Bond Schoeneck up
17spots on NLJ list
Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC rose 17 places in the National Law Journal’s annual rankings of the top 250 U.S. law firms.
The firm employed 189 attorneys and was ranked 225 in 2008. Today, the Syracuse-based firm, which has an office Buffalo, employs 193 attorneys and is ranked 208th in the nation.
Cohen lawyers talk on special-needs law
Terrie Benson Murray and Frank Housh, attorneys with Cohen Lombardo PC, delivered presentations at the third annual Northtowns Family Agency Fair Nov. 21 in Kenmore.
Both lawyers spoke to parents about legal issues related to the educational needs of disabled children, addressing such issues as estate planning,  establishing trusts, and school-district evaluations of a student’s educational needs and programming.
2 from Phillips
speak at seminars
David Flynn, a partner with Phillips Lytle LLP, presented at a recent meeting of the Bar Association of Erie County Environmental Committee. He discussed the role of Marcellus shale in New York’s energy future.
At Phillips, Flynn concentrates his practice in the areas of environmental and energy. The firm was also represented at the Western New York Paralegal Association’s new professional development program. Attorney Taylan Sen gave a presentation entitled “Cybersleuthing and Electronic Discovery in the Year 2010.” His work is focused on the area of intellectual-property law.
DePaolo, Gagliardi
talk on estate plans
Bouvier Partnership attorneys John DePaolo and Victor Gagliardi gave a presentation Dec. 16 at Empire Financial Partners, part of the John Hancock Financial Network.
They spoke on estate planning at Empire’s Williamsville offices.
Before he joined the Bouvier law firm, Gagliardi spent 25 years as counsel to the IRS.