At a glance
Joseph Damrath, attorney, Hornell City judge, and associate professor at Alfred State College, has been named a Distinguished Jurist by the Center for Dispute Settlement. He was honored at a luncheon in February.
Damrath, who was among 10 candidates nominated for the award, selected by a panel of judges from the Seventh Judicial District (which includes Steuben County), was cited for using peaceful conflict resolution in his courtroom for the past 15 years, which helps in alleviating court-case backlogs.
Joseph Damrath, attorney, Hornell City judge, and associate professor at Alfred State College, has been named a Distinguished Jurist by the Center for Dispute Settlement. He was honored at a luncheon in February.
Damrath, who was among 10 candidates nominated for the award, selected by a panel of judges from the Seventh Judicial District (which includes Steuben County), was cited for using peaceful conflict resolution in his courtroom for the past 15 years, which helps in alleviating court-case backlogs.
Damrath, a member of the Alfred State faculty since 2003, holds a JD from The University of Toledo College of Law; an MA in philosophy from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh; and a BA in philosophy from LeMoyne College, Syracuse. He was admitted to the NYS Bar in 1981 and admitted to practice before the United States District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts.
In addition to his faculty obligations, Damrath has served as Hornell City Court Judge (since 1989); assistant district attorney for Steuben County, 1982-88; and conducts a general law practice, concentrating in business law, contracts, corporations, partnerships, leases, collections, wills, estates, real estate, education law, health law, criminal law and litigation.
Damrath is a member of several professional associations, including Academy of Legal Studies in Business; Society for Business Ethics; American Catholic Philosophical Association; New York State Bar Association; Steuben County Bar Association (Past President); New York State City Judges Association; Attorney Grievance Committee (7th Judicial District); New York Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals; and National Association of Drug Court Professionals. He is also a member of the Hornell Rotary Club (Paul Harris Fellow, Past President, 1990-1991, 1998-1999).
The Center for Dispute Settlement, Inc. uses and promotes peaceful dispute resolution process throughout its communities to help create a non-violent, conflict resolving community; whereby, disputes are peacefully resolved at the earliest possible stage to avoid escalation and the potential of violence by creating the capacity and resource within individuals and the community to effectively resolve their disputes quickly, informally and peacefully.