HANCOCK ATTORNEY RECEIVES AWARD FOR
INNOVATIVE INTERNET IDEAS
NEW YORK—The General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section of the New
York State Bar Association (NYSBA) will present its first annual Hon. Lewis R.
Friedman Award to the Outstanding and Innovative Lawyer of the Year to
Leonard E. Sienko Jr. of Hancock, a sole practitioner, for his efforts in
improving the legal system by way of technological advancements.
The award will be presented to Sienko on Jan. 22 in New York City during the
NYSBA’s 125thAnnual Meeting.
Sienko received his undergraduate degree from Boston College (1968), where
he was graduated with honors and was nominated for the Woodrow Wilson
Fellowship. He later received a social ethics degree from Andover Newton
Theological School (1971) and earned his law degree from the Boston College
Law School (1977), where he received the Thomas Mackin Joyce Award.
“Lenny has been one of our scouts for the small group of pioneers who have
been exploring the frontiers of the Internet since early 1993 when the
Association formed the NYLaw Net committee to begin to electronically
connect lawyers, the courts, and the public. In addition to his leadership with
the Internet, Len works with Delaware County Judge, Robert L. Estes, in
addition to maintaining an active practice,” said Stephen P. Gallagher, director
of NYSBA’s Law Office Economics and Management Committee.
Sienko is a former Delaware County Bar Association president. He has been a
general practice lawyer for almost 24 years and is well-known by local bar
associations for his use of the Internet to conduct legal research. Along with
maintaining the Delaware County Bar Association’s Web site, Sienko
established the first law firm Web site in Delaware County for his firm, The
Sienko Law Office. He focuses his practice on education law, public sector,
collective bargaining, administrative litigation, and family law.
Along with being a collective bargaining negotiator for school districts and
municipalities, Sienko is an adjunct professor of public policy at SUNY-Delhi.
Sienko also is employed as a court attorney, working half his time in the
Delaware County, Surrogate, and Family Courts, where he researches legal
issues and drafts written decisions and opinions. He also presides at pre-trial
conferences, supervises settlement discussions, and advises court personnel on
In 2001, Sienko was the contributing editor of the NYSBA’s electronic
newsletter, web-brief and in 1997 was recognized by the Electronic
Communications Task Force with the “Mouse That Roared Award,” for his
dedication to increasing the Association’s use of technology to foster electronic
growth. He has also written several articles about using the Internet to assist
attorneys with legal research and their practice.
The 70,000-member New York State Bar Association is the official statewide
organization of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary state bar
association in the nation.
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