The Rensselaer County Bar Association will honor two long time Troy attorneys, Elliott F. Marinstein and Donald J. Shanley, with this year’s Jones Award at a dinner to be held on Thursday, October 18, 2018 at Franklin Plaza in Troy. The award, according to Jessica B. Mocerine, Esq., president of the Bar Association, is named in memory of the late E. Stewart Jones, Sr. of Troy, legendary criminal defense and personal injury attorney, who died in 2001. Mr. Jones, according to Ms. Mocerine, provided each of us in the profession with a very high set of standards that were reflected in his integrity and professionalism as a lawyer, as well as his civic leadership, generosity and loyalty to his community.
According to Anne Reynolds Copps, Esq., co-chair of the Courthouse Artwork Restoration Committee each of this year’s recipients is most deserving of this prestigious award. Elliott Marinstein and Don Shanley are the longest tenured actively practicing attorneys in Rensselaer County. They are fine examples in the way they have conducted their private, public and professional lives. They each so well reflect the dedication and service to both their profession and their community as did Mr. Jones.
All proceeds from this annual event will support the ongoing restoration and preservation of the photos and oil on canvass portraits of the attorneys, judges and prominent community leaders of the past. These historic pictures were removed from the inside walls of the Rensselaer County Courthouse at the time the renovation of this historic building began in 1998. Many of these treasures were in serious disrepair and badly in need of preservation. To date, with funds previously raised, more than a dozen pieces in the collection of more than 25 pictures have been restored and returned to the walls of the courthouse. This year the restored portraits of Hon. Pierce H. Russell, Hon. William H. Murray, Hon. Donald S. Taylor and Hon. William R. Murray will be unveiled at the dinner and returned to the walls of the courthouse. Previous recipients of the Jones Award include Mr. Jones’ son, E. Stewart Jones, Jr., Joyce M. Galante, a Troy matrimonial law attorney, retired Rensselaer County Surrogate Conrad H. Lang, Jr., retired Appellate Division Justice Edward O. Spain and retired Court of Appeals Judge Susan Phillips Read. The event is open to the public. For more information call (518) 270-1222.
Contact: Anne Reynolds Copps, Esq. (518) 436-5170 or arcopps@coppsdipaola.com.