Washington, DC - Congressman Edolphus Towns, 10th District New York has been successful in passing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would rename two Brooklyn, New York courthouses.  H.R. 429 would rename the United States courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East as the Hugh L. Carey United States Courthouse.  H.R. 430 would designate the United Sates bankruptcy courthouse located at 217 Cadman Plaza East as the Conrad Duberstein United States Bankruptcy Courthouse.

"These are remarkable New Yorkers who did great things for our state. It is only fitting that they receive recognition for their all of their works and a building bearing their name is my own personal way of honoring them," said Congressman Towns.

The Honorable Hugh L. Carey was born in Brooklyn, New York and served as an officer of the U.S. Army during World War II.  He earned a J.S.D. from St. John's University's School of Law in 1951.  After the war, Carey joined his brothers in building a successful petrochemical business.  In his first political campaign in1960, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn.  He served on the Education and Labor Committee, the Interior Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.  During his seven terms in the U.S. Congress, he became the Deputy Whip and framed several pieces of landmark legislation on education, the rights of the disabled and revenue sharing.  Carey was elected the 51st Governor of New York on November 5, 1974, and was re-elected in 1978.  As governor, he was the architect of the financial plan that averted the bankruptcy of New York City and began a sweeping program of fiscal reform and economic development to restore the state's vitality.  Carey also instituted the well-known "I Love New York" program and founded the Empire State Games. 

The Honorable Conrad B. Duberstein affectionately known as "Connie" was born in the Bronx. He dropped out of school to support his family at the age of 17, Duberstein managed to earn his undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College in 1938 and his J.D. from St. John's University Law School.  Connie served in the U.S. Army where he was awarded a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge.  When he left the Army following the end of World War II, Duberstein joined the Brooklyn law firm of Schwartz Rudin and Duberstein (the latter partner named after his uncle).  He later became a partner at Otterbourg, Steindler, Houston and Rosen where he remained until his retirement until 1981. It was in 1981, that he was appointed to the Eastern District Bankruptcy Court of New York.  He was appointed that court's Chief Judge in 1984, a position he held for the remainder of his career.  Connie was later awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from St. John's University and a moot bankruptcy court competition was created in his name by the American Bankruptcy Institute and St. John's.  Connie Duberstein is widely considered an important figure in bankruptcy law.  He died in November of 2005 from complications due to cancer.

Both H.R. 429 and H.R. 430 passed the U.S. House with a voice vote.

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