Candidate Profile: Lisa Rana For East Hampton Town Justice

EAST HAMPTON, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Lisa Rana, 54, of East Hampton, is running for re-election as East Hampton Town Justice.

Her opponent is Andrew Strong, a Democrat.

Incumbent Rana, a Republican also running on the Conservative, Libertarian and Independence lines, is married to Kurt Kappel, 52; her mother Virginia Rana is 81. She earned her Juris Doctor from Touro Law Center and a B.A. from Hampshire College. She has served as an East Hampton Town Justice for 16 years; Sag Harbor Village Justice for 9 years; and has been an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of New York and Massachusetts for 27 years.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Linda Rana below:

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Rana: The single most pressing issue we face in the East Hampton Town Justice Court is the need for additional substance abuse, drug abuse and mental health services available to the community and, in particular, to those who appear before the court. To the extent permissible under the judicial ethics rules, I seek the assistance of local counselors, rehabilitation facilities, mental health facilities, and the probation department to find available assistance for individuals who need help and want help.

P: What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

R: I am the only candidate running for East Hampton Town Justice with judicial experience and a proven judicial temperament. Having presided over East Hampton's local cases for the past 16 years, I have gained the knowledge and insight to fairly and objectively adjudicate the cases that come before our court. Prior to law school, I worked as a caseworker in New York City’s foster care system and volunteered as a rape crisis counselor. After I earned my law degree from Touro Law Center, I practiced as an attorney representing and protecting some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised children in New York City: children in abuse, neglect, domestic violence, contested custody and criminal cases. Later in my career, I served as the Chief Administrative Law Judge, and later the Chief of Staff at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. I have been found “Qualified” by the Suffolk County Bar Association for the position of town justice for each of my elections, including this election. I have always believed the position of town justice to be a non-political one and have campaigned in a non-partisan manner, based upon my qualifications. On a local level, it is important to focus on a candidate’s qualifications for office, and the connection and service to our community. I believe it is important to elect judicial candidates who are experienced, who understand our community, and who are willing to actually listen to the community’s voices. I am an independent elected official. I am seeking re-election as an East Hampton Town Justice because I love East Hampton, I am committed to all of the people who reside here and to the welfare of the town that we call our home, whether you have lived here for a day, a year or a lifetime.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

R: As a sitting town justice, which is considered to be a non-political office, the rules of judicial ethics do not permit judicial campaigns to engage in partisan political activity. Rather, justice candidates should be considered based upon their qualifications and connection to their community. I grew up in Amagansett, and my family have been residents of East Hampton since 1916. I endeavor every day to treat all individuals who appear before me in a fair and impartial matter. This, I believe, is the hallmark of a good town justice.

P: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

R: Having been an East Hampton Town Justice for 16 years, the past six years as the Court's Administrative Justice, as well as the Chief Administrative Law Judge of NYC's Taxi and Limousine Commission, I believe I am uniquely qualified to continue to preside over our local cases. Moreover, together with Justice Andrea Schiavoni, I helped Sag Harbor Village start the Sag Harbor Village Justice Court, where I also have been a justice for nine years. I have a deep respect for the law and work hard to serve the residents of East Hampton.

P: The best advice ever shared with me was ...

R: "Be kind." My paternal grandparents were Italian immigrants and, having been raised as an Italian American, we welcomed everyone into our home. For us, family extended beyond biological ties and friendship was treasured. It still is. My father impressed upon us that you may never know what hardships people you encounter may have endured over the course of their lives. However, a kind word or deed — even to a stranger — can change the course of their day, and maybe even their life.

P: What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

R: Being an East Hampton Town Justice has been a true honor. The fabric of our community quilt, like that of so many other communities, is woven together by people of various ethnicities, social status, and income levels. But in my courtroom, a person is a person. I strive every day to ensure that all people are treated justly and with dignity and respect.