MAYVILLE – The Hon. Judith S. Claire is ready to close an 18-year career as Chautauqua County Family Court judge, but she isn’t finished with her efforts to help shape the lives of families and children.

Claire is slated to step away from the bench June 16, marking an end to a distinguished career that transformed the family court system. While Claire doesn’t consider herself to be retiring, she said the time is right to move on to new adventures.

“I have a number of things filling up,” Claire said. “I’m going to continue my work with trauma-informed care, which has been very important. I think I’ve learned a lot from it. I feel it’s really important and I want to continue to work with people in that area.”

Claire first became judge in 1998 and secured a second term after winning the 2008 election. Claire was the first female judge in family court in Chautauqua County, and she’s still the only woman 18 years later.

Before her time as judge, Claire started in Albany working for the New York State Health Planning Commission. She spent two years working as a staff attorney for the Mental Health Information Service Appellate Division. Claire transitioned to private practice where she spent 20 years conducting trial work, spending much time in family court.

“I never even dreamed of being an attorney, let alone a judge,” Claire said. “I never thought about any of this when I was starting out.”

For 16 years, Claire was the only judge handling family cases in Chautauqua County until the state Legislature created a second family court judge in 2014. Under family court, custody and visitation issues, juvenile delinquency and persons in need of supervision, as well as child neglect and domestic rights matters are dealt with. The court also handles adoptions and foster care cases. Between 8,000-9,000 petitions are filed in family court on an annual basis, Claire said.

“For many years, we’ve been among the busiest courts in the state,” Claire said. “Family court just sees a lot of action in our current times.”

Despite the large work load, Claire said one of the biggest challenges is finding successful ways to assist families, children and relatives to address their issues. On any given day, Claire could juggle a domestic violence matter, a juvenile delinquency petition with serious allegations and an adoption.

“You might be doing something that’s unbelievably tragic. Inside, you might be in tears, but you’ve got to keep a professional face while you’re in the court room, and not express your sorrow,” she said. “And then, there’s not even a two-second break and you’re back in and it’s a happy occasion, and you need to be happy because that family deserves their happiness.”

With collaboration among various parties, Claire has focused her efforts on initiatives that changed the family court system and assisted families and children through tough times. Such initiatives include Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a program in which volunteers advocate for neglected and abused children. Claire said the program has helped close to 1,000 children obtain permanency in their life.

One of the first family drug courts in the state was established in Chautauqua County 13 years ago as Claire said they continue to track the progress of their graduates.

“As every person graduates, all children get a healthy parent,” Claire said.

Other successful initiatives under Claire’s tenure include “Snacks and Chats” where children are provided food and age-appropriate games. In addition, attorneys and case workers debrief or prepare youth for a permanency hearing.

The trauma-informed care initiative provides for a supervised visitation program for children and their parents who don’t see each other outside of abuse cases. Claire said the initiatives wouldn’t be successful without collaboration from the county Health and Human Services Department, Chautauqua Tapestry, Chautauqua Opportunities, mental hygiene, the education sector and probation, among other parties.

“We were able to develop community service projects for youth on probation and a school-based probation program. By working together, and not in silos, we’ve been able to accomplish things that weren’t possible,” she said.

Professor Susan Green, clinical associate professor and co-director of the Institute on Trauma and Trauma-informed Care at the University of Buffalo’s School of Social Work, traveled with Claire to Vienna, Austria, last summer for the International Congress on Law and Mental Health. Claire spoke on the subject of trauma-informed care in judicial systems.

“The people in the audience were most impressed, let alone inquisitive, to the judge around how she was able to infuse such an approach in the court room. She had several people approach her afterwards asking for her contact, and wanting in some way to collaborate about her expertise,” Green said.

For Claire, one of the rewarding aspects as judge is helping people break through their issues while giving families and children the opportunity to live a healthy life. With a number of initiatives established, Claire said they’ve worked to make court a safer place where there can be justice.

“I like to think of it as a place of hope. I know there’s people who still don’t feel hope, but I think that number is improving,” Claire said. “People come in now and do look us in the eye. I see more smiles than I ever have seen before.”

Kathy Park, CASA program director, said she’s seen the impact Judge Claire has made on children and families. Park said the judge is always looking for ways to ensure children have the opportunity for a successful outcome.

“One of Judge Claire’s favorite court initiatives is ‘Kids in Court’. She understands the importance and the need to have children have a sense of the court process,” Park said “She interacts with children and truly enjoys getting to meet the young people involved.”

Christine Schuyler, county commissioner of social services, said Judge Claire was very meticulous in her findings after a hearing and generally gave oral decisions from the bench. Her decisions would cover all the facts that were submitted in the hearing to fully support her position, Schuyler said.

“It would be a rare occasion for Judge Claire to get upset with anyone, and she always maintained a good court room demeanor,” Schuyler said. “Judge Claire would take action to protect children, often granting access orders to Child Protective Services, granting temporary orders of custody to the department, terminating parental rights when appropriate, accepting and approving surrender documents. She will be greatly missed by the department.”

Family Court Judge Jeffrey A. Piazza, who was elected in 2014, said Claire truly cares for the children and families in Chautauqua County. Piazza said he’s seen Judge Claire from both sides of the bench as an attorney and a judge.

“She will be sorely missed. For 18 years, she’s been an advocate for children and families in Chautauqua County. She’s been a good example to me as to what a judge should be. It’s been an honor serving as a judge with her in Mayville.”

Claire will continue to serve on the New York State Family Court Advisory and Rules Committee as well as trustee on the board for Chautauqua Institution. Claire said she’s hoping to serve as a judicial hearing officer and is looking at doing other work on children’s issues.

“I have speaking engagements, and of course, I have many personal things I want to do as well,” she said.