Honoring a
Transformative Legacy
The Lawrence H. Cooke Dispute Resolution Legacy Fund
Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke believed that access to justice extends beyond the courtroom - that New Yorkers deserved the chance to resolve conflict in their own communities. Through his leadership, New York created one of the nation's first statewide networks of Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs). For nearly 50 years, CDRCs have helped families, neighbors, schools, businesses, and communities resolve conflict through mediation and dialogue across all of New York's 62 counties.
Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke
(1914 - 2000)
Judge Cooke's Vision Enacted
Community Dispute Resolution in Every County...
New York's Community Dispute Resolution Centers — established in 1981 under Article 21-A of the Judiciary Law — provide free and low-cost mediation, arbitration, restorative practices, and community dialogue services in all 62 counties. The CDRCs serve approximately 75,000 individuals annually.
They work in family courts and housing courts, in neighborhood disputes and workplace conflicts, in schools and correctional settings — wherever conflict arises and wherever people need support navigating difficult conversations, resolving disputes, and building stronger communities.
To preserve and strengthen Chief Judge Cooke's legacy, the New York State Dispute Resolution Association (NYSDRA) has established the Lawrence H. Cooke Dispute Resolution Legacy Fund. The Legacy Fund, managed by Merrill Lynch, is a $1.5 million permanent endowment that will provide long-term support for community dispute resolution throughout New York State. By creating a stable source of funding for CDRCs beyond annual appropriations, the endowment will help ensure that Judge Cooke's vision continues to serve future generations.
New York's statewide network of Community Dispute Resolution Centers are the living expression of Chief Judge Cooke's vision. Established by legislation he championed in 1981, the CDRC network reaches all 62 counties of the state — bringing trained mediators into communities to help neighbors, families, businesses, and courts resolve conflict without the cost or adversarial nature of litigation. Each year, CDRCs serve tens of thousands of New Yorkers who might otherwise have no access to a fair, impartial process for resolving their disputes. The Legacy Fund exists to protect and sustain that work.
Campaign Leadership
To lead this historic effort, the Honorable Lawrence K. Marks — former Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System and a longstanding champion of access to justice and alternative dispute resolution — is serving as Campaign Chair of the Fund. His leadership underscores the importance of preserving Chief Judge Cooke's vision for future generations.
CAMPAIGN CHAIR
The Honorable Lawrence K. Marks (ret.)
Former Chief Administrative Judge, New York State Unified Court System
Chair, NYSDRA Advisory Board
"Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke challenged us to imagine a justice system that reached beyond the courthouse and into our communities. His vision has strengthened families, neighborhoods, schools, and local businesses for more than forty years. By building this permanent endowment today, we honor not only his extraordinary legacy but our shared responsibility to carry it forward for generations to come."
Our 3-Year Goal
$1.5 Million to Carry the Network Forward
$1.5 M
The Goal
3 Years
The Timeline
62 Counties
The Reach
Chief Judge Cooke did not build a program. He built a promise — that every New Yorker, regardless of income or circumstance, would have access to a fair and dignified way to resolve conflict in their own community. For more than forty years, New York's 18 Community Dispute Resolution Centers have kept that promise, one case at a time, across all 62 counties of the state.
The New York State Unified Court System has been a consistent and committed partner in that work, providing annual funding that CDRCs have always been able to count on. But the Court's funding was never designed to carry the program alone. From the beginning, CDRCs have been required to match their court funding each year — drawing on local fundraising, grants, and community support to meet the threshold that keeps state dollars flowing. When the match falls short, the funding is at risk. And as demand for community mediation continues to grow, the gap between what CDRCs can sustain and what their communities need grows with it.
The Lawrence H. Cooke Legacy Fund is our answer to that gap. A permanent $1.5 million endowment, invested and managed by Merrill Lynch, will generate a reliable annual stream of support for CDRCs in perpetuity — funding that strengthens their ability to meet the match, respond to demand, and grow their capacity without the anxiety of building from zero every year. Three years to build it. A lifetime of impact from it.
We are asking the people who know this work best — practitioners, judges, community leaders, and supporters of access to justice across New York — to make that permanence possible. The goal is $1.5 million. The timeline is three years. The stakes are the next generation of New Yorkers who will need exactly what Chief Judge Cooke imagined for them.
This ambitious but achievable goal will help CDRCs maintain, expand, and create programs that strengthen all communities in New York State.
Become a Founding Sponsor
Every gift at every level, becomes part of a living tribute - a lasting record of the individuals, organizations, and community leaders helping to ensure that future generations of New Yorkers have access to mediation, dialogue, and community-based conflict resolutions.
Network Sustainer
($10,000 - $24,999)
Cooke Circle
($50,000+)
Legacy Champion
($25,000 - $49,999)
Founding Friend
($1,000 - $4,999)
Community Partner
($5,000 - $9,999)
Ways to Give
- Individual Donation
- Donor Advised Fund
- Stocks/Securities Donation
- IRA/401k Distribution
- Estate Planning/Bequest
- Corporate/Business Giving
Making a Difference
Your contribution to the Lawrence H. Cooke Dispute Resolution Legacy 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.