National Coalition For Family Justice Advisory Board Overview Executive Director - Susan Titus   "The success of all our initiatives shrivels if the public loses faith that the courts operate free of favoritism and partiality." The Honorable Judith Kaye, Chief Justice of the State of New York. The National Coalition for Family Justice, a grassroots, gender neutral, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1988 by Monica Getz, is forming a new Advisory Board to address the issues surrounding accountability and ethical behavior on the part of judges, attorneys, and other professionals operating in our country’s courts, particularly as they relate to cases involving family violence, children’s rights, and child custody. The board will convene for it’s first working meeting on March 6 at the Westchester County, New York estate home of Monica Getz, President and Founder of the Coalition. The Coalition is well known and highly respected, where it has been instrumental in working with citizens, attorneys, and judges to implement important legal reform in New York State. It actually owes it's existence to Whitney Seymour, Jr., as it was he who spurred Ms. Getz on to form the organization after representing her in a high profile divorce from jazz musician Stan Getz in the early 1980’s. Shocked by what he observed in divorce court while representing Getz, Seymour collaborated with Mark Green, then the NYC Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, on a 1992 report written by Karen Winner (also a board member) entitled: Women In Divorce: Lawyers, Ethics, Fees, and Fairness. Mr. Seymour is in full support of the new Advisory Board; he is currently examining his schedule in consideration of becoming a member in the near future. The Advisory Board will be a cross-disciplinary, gender-neutral, non-partisan, national network of prominent professionals, experts, and authorities who will collaborate to raise public awareness of the interrelated societal problems resulting from unethical behavior and lack of accountability in the legal professions (judges and attorneys) and in other disciplines involved in the litigation process (i.e. court appointees, "experts", etc.). The Board will also work independently and with other individuals and organizations to develop feasible and appropriate solutions and recommended practices, and will publicly recognize judges, attorneys, and other professionals whose work exemplifies ethical and proper behavior in the legal arena. Richard Ducote, international children’s rights attorney and Mark Green, former NYC Commissioner of Consumer Affairs and the first New York City Public Advocate, are among a distinguished list of experts which also includes Lundy Bancroft, author of the highly acclaimed book, "The Batterer As Parent", Northampton, MA;  The Rev. Barbara Reynolds, author, ordained minister, and president of the Reynolds News Service, Washington, D.C.; and many other noted professionals from diverse backgrounds.