The Lawrence H. Cooke
Dispute Resolution Legacy Fund
Lawrence H. Cooke
Honoring a
Transformative Legacy
Campaign Launch: December 1, 2025
The Lawrence H. Cooke Dispute Resolution Legacy Fund honors Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke (1914-2000), whose visionary leadership in the late 1970s and early 1980s fundamentally transformed how New York State approaches conflict resolution. As the driving force behind the creation of New York's Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs) program—the first statewide network of its kind in the United States—Chief Judge Cooke understood that true justice requires innovative solutions that serve all people, regardless of their economic circumstances.
Note: Official campaign launch begins December 1, 2025. Early supporters receive special recognition as founding contributors to this transformative initiative.
Our Mission:
Eliminating Barriers to Justice
This legacy fund ensures that everyone across New York State can access dispute resolution services without the burden of cost preventing them from seeking help. The fund eliminates financial barriers, making our services truly inclusive and accessible to all who need them.
Our Three-Year Goal
Over the next three years, we aim to raise $1,500,000 to support our statewide network of Community Dispute Resolution Centers. This ambitious but achievable goal will allow us to serve everyone, regardless of financial status, while expanding innovative programs that strengthen the relationship between our centers and the courts they serve.
How Your Support
Makes a Difference
Your contribution to the Lawrence H. Cooke Fund directly supports Community Dispute Resolution Centers across all 62 counties in New York State. These centers provide essential services including mediation, conflict resolution, and restorative justice programs that help individuals, families, and communities resolve disputes peacefully and effectively.
Ways to Give
We welcome contributions through various vehicles:
• Traditional donations
• Donor advised funds
• 401(k) distributions
• Stock donations
• Estate planning gifts
• Year-end giving opportunities
Stay Tuned for Inspiring Stories
We will be sharing amazing stories of how your support transforms lives in communities across New York State—stories that demonstrate the real-world impact of accessible dispute resolution services.
Amazing story of how your support transforms lives
Jane Faber, New York
Amazing story of how your support transforms lives
Jane Faber, New York
Amazing story of how your support transforms lives
Jane Faber, New York
Get Involved
Campaign Launch: December 1, 2025
For more information about the Lawrence H. Cooke Dispute Resolution Legacy Fund or to discuss giving options, contact:
Theresa Hobbs, J.D., MBA, LPEC
Executive Director
New York State Dispute Resolution Association, Inc.
(518) 687-2240
director@nysdra.org
Established September 26, 2025, in commemoration of NYSDRA's 40th Anniversary
