A tribute to David D. Siegel.

AuthorCarpinello, George
PositionAlbany Law School professor - Testimonial

Every attorney who practices law in the courts of New York knows David Siegel: he has written the preeminent treatise on New York practice; he authors McKinney's Commentaries on Civil Practice; he authors the Commentaries on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; he authors the New York State Law Digest; he dissects the latest procedure cases in his Siegel's Practice Review; and he is one of the most entertaining and informative speakers on the CLE circuit. But some of us are privileged to know David in another capacity: as one of the longest-standing members of the Advisory Committee on Civil Practice for the Courts of the State of New York.

The Committee was established pursuant to Sections 212(1)(g) (1) and 212(1)(q) (2) of the Judiciary Law, at the same time the Civil Practice Laws and Rules was adopted, (3) to advise the courts on proposed changes in civil practice. The Advisory Committee meets on a monthly basis and presents a report to the Legislature in January of each year making proposed changes in the CPLR and in the Uniform Rules. (4) It receives proposals for legislative and regulatory change from the members of the New York Judiciary, from the practicing bar, and from the standing committees of various bar associations. (5) It also routinely comments on bills introduced by others in the Legislature affecting civil practice in New York. (6)

The Committee has over thirty members from every geographic area of the state and from every area of civil practice. Thus, although the formal purpose of each meeting is to discuss the proposals that are on our agenda, in reality, the real reason to attend is to listen to the stimulating and informative give-and-take with some of the best attorneys in their fields.

The issues that come before the Committee relate to every aspect of civil litigation: When should a motion for summary judgment be made? How many days service should be allowed for service by overnight carrier? May attorneys serve interlocutory papers by email? Should there be mandatory electronic filing in New York? Should affidavits be replaced by universal affirmations? What is the appealable paper when the Appellate Division orders a conditional remittitur? When should disclosure of expert information be made? Should experts be routinely deposed in commercial cases? Should a case be thrown out of court because the plaintiffs attorney served a complaint with the wrong index number on it?

In the center of all these issues is, of course, Professor Siegel. When any proposal relating to the CPLR is presented to the Committee, the first order of business is to hear Professor Siegel's overview of the genesis of the provision, how the provision has worked in practice, and how the courts have interpreted it. Professor Siegel sets the stage for the discussion and explains the problem that needs resolution. He acts as a human hyperlink: click on any aspect of the problem and he immediately gives you all the history you would want or need. Of course, Professor Siegel not only provides elucidation on the proposals that come before the Committee, but he is also the most prolific contributor to the agenda of the Advisory Committee. I can recall more than one meeting when the majority of the items of the agenda were generated by Professor Siegel.

All the major proposals that come out of the Advisory Committee bear the marks of David's influence. Practitioners no doubt remember Chapter 216 of the Laws of 1992, (7) which introduced...

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