Hon. Rose Sconiers has been named to the Appellate Division, 4th Department, of New York State Supreme Court.

Appointed by Gov. David Paterson, Sconiers has served as a Supreme Court justice in the 8th Judicial District since 1994.

"I am proud to nominate such an accomplished and respected jurist to the Appellate Division," Paterson said in a prepared statement. "Justice Sconiers' experience and dedication on the bench will be a tremendous addition to the Appellate Division."

Sconiers began her legal career as assistant corporation counsel for the City of Buffalo, a post she held from 1975 until 1987, then served as a Buffalo City Court judge from 1988 until 1993. She has also served as executive attorney for the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo.

A past president of the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, in 2009 she was named chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities.

As an appellate judge, Sconiers will earn a salary of $144,000. Her appointment is not subject to state Senate confirmation.

BPILP auction slated for Feb. 26

The Buffalo Public Interest Law Program, a nonprofit organization operated by the University at Buffalo Law School serving the Greater Buffalo area, is holding its annual fundraising auction Feb. 26 from 6-9 p.m. at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, 76 Pearl St., Buffalo.

Proceeds from the event will provide fellowships to UB Law students working in the public-interest sector. Recipients work locally with organizations such as the Buffalo Legal Aid Society and nationally with groups including Bay Area Legal Aid. Fellows work in the areas of child custody, foreclosure, small-business development and refugee resettlement.

The 2009 auction raised more than $30,000, all of which was used to fund fellowships.

UB Law's Mangold named to NIH team

University at Buffalo Law School professor Susan Mangold was selected as the leading academic for one of 15 teams accepted for a cooperative research conference sponsored by the National Institute of Health and National Institute of Mental Health.

The conference will be held Feb. 6-10 in San Jose, Calif., and will bring together academic researchers and community administrators to examine issues of public health. Mangold is co-director of UB's Program for Excellence in Family Law and an expert in child-welfare law.

LSED chief named to aging committee

Gov. David Paterson appointed Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of Western New York Inc. CEO Karen Nicolson to the advisory committee to the New York State Office for the Aging.

Her term will expire in March 2012.

Area lawyer named to Green Council board

Kirstin Lowry Sommers, of counsel to Hurwitz & Fine PC, has been elected to the board of directors of the U.S. Green Building Council Upstate New York chapter.

The Council sets credentialing and certification standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects. Hurwitz & Fine reports that Sommers is one of only a handful of attorneys in the state who are LEED-accredited professionals, and the only one in Western New York.She advises clients on liability, contractual roles, coverage issues and cost-benefit analysis.

Saeli & Tollner lawyer speaks at NYSBA event

Sarah Tollner, a partner in the law firm Saeli & Tollner PC, was a featured speaker at the annual meeting of the New York State Bar Association in New York City Jan. 29.

Tollner addressed the labor-and-employment-law section, speaking on an attorney's obligations under the new rules of professional conduct.

Hoover takes part in high-court review

Phillips Lytle LLP attorney Timothy Hoover served as a moderator for a recent presentation entitled "U.S. Supreme Court Review and Preview, Oct. 2008-Oct. 2009 Terms." He moderated the criminal-law portion of the presentation.

The event was presented by the Erie Institute of Law and provided participants with a review of key decisions from the court's 2008 term.

- Compiled by Matt Chandler