New leadership and members appointed to NY’s Failla LGBTQ commission

Chief Judge Rowan Wilson has announced on Wednesday updates to the Richard C. Failla LGBTQ Commission, appointing new leaders and members to bolster its advocacy for LGBTQ issues within the legal community. 

Hon. Grace M. Hanlon, Supreme Court justice, Eighth Judicial District, will serve as the new upstate co-chair, succeeding Hon. Joanne M. Winslow, and will join downstate co-chair Hon. Karen Lupuloff, Supervising Judge, Family Court, New York County. 

Newly appointed members include Hon. Seth M. Marnin and Hon. Javier E. Vargas, both recently confirmed as Court of Claims judges. Notably, Hon. Vargas and Hon. Franc Perry, both previously assigned to Kings County Family Court, will bring their rich experience to the commission.

“I am delighted to announce the appointments of these three outstanding jurists to the Failla Commission, whose work is so crucial to the court system’s efforts to ensure equal access to justice and foster a diverse, inclusive work environment,” Chief Judge Wilson said. “I am confident that Justice Hanlon, together with Judge Lupuloff, will lead the commission further along that critically important path and am deeply grateful to the Commission’s members for their hard work and commitment toward that end.”

The Failla Commission, established in December 2016, has been a dynamic force in addressing LGBTQ concerns in the courts and the legal profession. It strives for equal participation and access for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. 

The commission’s initiatives range from enhancing judicial diversity to ensuring fair treatment of LGBTQ litigants in the courts. Collaboration with LGBTQ advocacy groups, bar associations and community organizations remains a key aspect of its mission to foster a more equitable and supportive environment.

Justice Hanlon, the first openly LGBTQ justice elected to…