Being honored with a David Award is something that brings the Honorable Stephen A. Bucaria, JSC, not only great pleasure, but also a sense of renewed motivation.

"You should never take it as a compliment for what you have done but a push to do more in the future," said the New York State Supreme Court Justice, who is pleased to be in the company of such an impressive group of honorees.

"I'm very flattered," said Bucaria "You're talking about heavy hitters," he said, referring to the seven other David Award recipients.

Being an active member of the community is something that Bucaria considers an obligation.

"I think it's very important for people who are members of the judicial system to stay active in the community. It's a great privilege to be elected as a judge. I think writing is also one of those obligations," Bucaria said, explaining the importance of judges sharing their ideas of the law in the community.

His Italian and Irish heritage has also led him to become involved in a number of groups such as the Columbian Lawyers Association and Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. He also remains active in his home parish, St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Garden City.

Following graduation from Fairfield University, Justice Bucaria joined the staff of New York State Senator John R. Dunne, who was then the chairman of the Senate committee on crime and corrections. While on the Senator's staff, Bucaria assisted in the research and data preparation of the precedent setting, Tombs Report. Concurrently, he received a Master of Arts Degree from SUNY Albany.

In 1972, Justice Bucaria was appointed as a visiting professor of Sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada where he taught undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Upon completion of his teaching assignment, Justice Bucaria rejoined the staff of Senator Dunne as a legislative assistant. In 1976, he graduated from the Hofstra University School of Law, was admitted to the New York State Bar for the practice of law and accepted a position as an assistant district attorney for Nassau County.

In 1979, Justice Bucaria entered private practice until accepting a position as Law Secretary for the Honorable Gabriel Kohn, New York State Court of Claims in 1989, later serving as Law Secretary to Honorable Angelo D. Roncallo, Justice of the Supreme Court from 1990 through 1993.

Justice Bucaria was elected to the District Court in 1993 and served there until his election, in 1995, to the Supreme Court of the State of New York where he currently serves.

The justice appears on the weekly cable television program, "High School Debate," and he received a "tele" nomination from the Public Broadcasting Corporation.

The David Award winner was appointed to the New York Guard in August 1997 as a JAG Officer, ultimately serving as Staff Judge Advocate for the Civil Affairs Brigade. He has served as Commander of the 13th Civil Affairs Regiment and Acting Commander of the 54th Civil Affairs Brigade. He currently serves as the Deputy Commander of Administration and Logistics for the Army Division. His awards include the New York Guard Commendation Medal and letters and certificates of Commendation for his service to the National Guard and USMC Reserves for providing legal and family assistance to troops mobilized for national security missions. He served New York State active duty during the World Trade Center Disaster, his troops deployed for administrative, security, legal and family assistance and logistics missions.

Justice Bucaria and his wife, Elizabeth, live on Long Island.