The Historical Society of the New York Courts maintains biographies of retired Appellate Division, First Department Associate Justices and retired and sitting Presiding Justices, which are updated infrequently. For biographies of the current jurists, please visit the First Department’s website.
A
Abdus-Salaam, Sheila
In 2013, Judge Abdus-Salaam was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See her full biography HERE. The first African-American woman ...
Acosta, Rolando T.
The Hon. Rolando T. Acosta was elected as a New York State Supreme Court Justice in New York County in ...
Alexander II, Fritz W.
In 1985, Judge Alexander was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. The first black judge ...
Andrias, Richard T.
Justice Richard T. Andrias is a 1970 graduate of Columbia Law School and attended the Graduate Law School of the ...
Asch, Sidney H.
Known as a scholar and an authority on law and social change, Sidney Howard Asch was born in New York ...
B
Barrett, George C.
It was said that Justice George C. Barrett "was undoubtedly one of the greatest Judges that ever sat upon the ...
Bastow, Earle C.
Justice Bastow also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. Earle C. Bastow ...
Bergan, Francis
In 1963, Judge Bergan was elected to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. Judge Bergan also sat ...
Birns, Harold
Harold Birns was born on the Lower East Side of New York City in 1914. He attended George Washington High ...
Bloom, Max
Max Bloom was born in 1909 in New York City. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School and received his law ...
Botein, Bernard
A principal figure in New York City's legal establishment, Justice Bernard Botein was active in court reform and had an ...
Breitel, Charles D.
In 1967, Judge Breitel was elected to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. Among the most noted ...
Brunt, Charles H. Van
It was said of Justice Charles H. Van Brunt that "an impartial application of sound law is his rule of ...
Buckley, John T.
John T. Buckley was born in Utica, New York, on February 8, 1936. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1958, ...
Burr, William P.
William P. Burr was born in Dublin, Ireland on March 30, 1856. He came to the U.S. as a young ...
C
Callahan, Joseph M.
Joseph M. Callahan was born in New York City on December 10, 1885. He attended New York City public schools, ...
Capozzoli, Louis J.
Louis Joseph Capozzoli was born on March 6, 1901, in Cosenza, Italy, and emigrated with his family to the United ...
Carro, John
Born in Puerto Rico in 1927 and raised in New York City, John Carro graduated from Fordham University in 1949 ...
Catterson, James M.
James M. Catterson, III was born on December 19, 1958 in Jamaica, New York. He is the son of the ...
Clark, Darcel D.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Darcel Clark was the first member of her family to attend college. She earned ...
Clarke, John Proctor
On January 4, 1927, shortly after Justice Clarke's retirement from the Appellate Division, the president of the Association of the ...
Cohn, Albert
Justice Albert Cohn served as a mentor to future Appellate Division Justice Martin M. Frank, who eulogized Cohn citing his ...
Colabella, Nicholas
The son of immigrants from Italy, Justice Nicholas Colabella was born on May 22, 1936 in Bronxville, New York, and ...
Cox, Joseph A.
Joseph A. Cox was born in New York City in 1896, the son of a stone cutter. He attended public ...
D
Davis, Vernon M.
Born on January 29, 1855 in Manhattan, New York, to Robert Vernon Davis and Mary Semler Davis, Justice Davis was ...
Degrasse, Leland G.
Justice DeGrasse is best known for being the trial judge who ruled against the state’s system for financing public schools ...
Dore, Edward S.
In a survey conducted in 1931 by Professor Joseph X. Healy of the College of the City of New York, ...
Dowling, Victor J.
Born on July 20, 1866 in New York City, Victor J. Dowling attended parochial schools and De La Salle Academy ...
E
Eager, Samuel W.
Samuel W. Eager was born in Montgomery, New York, on August 19, 1900. He was schooled in Orange County, New ...
Ellerin, Betty Weinberg
"She may be petite, but pound for pound (or in her case, ounce for ounce), Betty Weinberg Ellerin packs more ...
Evans, Herbert B.
While attending DuSable High School on the South Side of Chicago in the 1930s, Herbert B. Evans decided that he ...
F
Fein, Arnold L.
Justice Fein was born in Boston in 1910, and grew up in Brooklyn, where he attended Erasmus Hall High School ...
Feinman, Paul G.
In 2017, Judge Feinman was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. In June 2017, Governor ...
Finch, Edward Ridley
In 1935, Judge Finch was elected to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. Justice Edward Ridley Finch ...
Foster, Sydney F.
In 1960, Judge Foster was appointed to the Court of Appeals and elected later that year. See his full biography ...
Frank, Martin M.
As a Supreme Court Justice, Martin M. Frank condemned the "standard magistrates' courts practice" of arraigning persons on "an assembly ...
Freedman, Helen E.
When asked why she was leaving the bench, Appellate Division, First Department Justice Helen Freedman stated that she was following ...
G
Gische, Judith J.
JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE Designated Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department, October 2012. Elected Justice of ...
Glennon, Edward J.
Edward J. Glennon was born in New York in 1884. As a young man he graduated from Fordham. He began ...
Gonzalez, Luis A.
Justice Luis Antonio Gonzalez was born in Manati, Puerto Rico in 1945. His parents migrated to New York in the ...
Greenbaum, Samuel
Born January 23, 1854 in London, England, Justice Greenbaum was the son of Louis and Rachel Deborah (Schlessinger) Greenbaum. He ...
H
Hatch, Edward W.
Justice Hatch also sat on the bench of the 2nd Department; more information can be found HERE. Edward W. Hatch ...
Heffernan, Christopher J.
Justice Heffernan also sat on the bench of the 3rd Department; more information can be found HERE. At one point in ...
Hotchkiss, Henry D.
Henry DeWitt Hotchkiss was born in Albany, New York on July 2, 1856. He received a private school education and ...
Houghton, James W.
Justice Houghton also sat on the bench of the 3rd Department; more information can be found HERE. Born September 1, ...
I
Ingraham, George L.
George Landon Ingraham was one of the first Associate Justices of the Appellate Division First Department at its formation in ...
K
Kahn, Marcy L.
Associate Justice Marcy L. Kahn graduated with an A.B. with honors from Stanford University in 1972 and received her J.D ...
Kassal, Bentley
In June of 2009, on the 65th anniversary of D-Day, Bentley Kassal was awarded France's highest honor, the French Legion ...
Kavanagh, E. Michael
Justice Kavanagh also sat on the bench of the 3rd Department; more information is available HERE. E. Michael Kavanagh was ...
Kupferman, Theodore R.
Justice Theodore R. Kupferman was known as the Great Dissenter of the Appellate Division, First Department. According to The New ...
L
Lambert, John S.
Justice Lambert also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. Born in Johnsonville, ...
Lane, Myles J.
Prior to his career in the law, Myles J. Lane, a standout athlete at Dartmouth, played football, baseball and hockey ...
Laughlin, Frank C.
Justice Laughlin also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. It was said ...
Lerner, Alfred D.
Justice Lerner also sat on the bench of the 2nd Department; more information can be found HERE. Justice Alfred D ...
Lippman, Jonathan
In 2009, Judge Lippman was appointed as the Chief Judge of the State of New York. See his full biography ...
Lupiano, Vincent A.
Upon Justice Vincent A. Lupiano's induction into the New York State Supreme Court, his father, Dominick Lupiano, who had been ...
Lynch, J. Robert
J. Robert Lynch was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 1, 1921. He and his family later moved upstate, ...
M
Macken, Daniel E.
Born in 1905, Daniel E. Macken received his law degree from Syracuse University Law School in 1928. He was in ...
Malone, Jr., Bernard J.
Justice Malone also sat on the bench of the 3rd Department; more information can be found HERE. Bernard J. Malone, ...
Markewich, Arthur
In 1976, Justice Arthur Markewich was the justice presiding on the panel of Appellate Division judges that disbarred Richard M ...
Marlow, George D.
George D. Marlow was born on June 8, 1941, in New York City. He graduated from St. Lawrence University in ...
Martin, Francis
"Confidence of the public in our judiciary can be maintained only so long as justice is administered swiftly, fairly and ...
Mazzarelli , Angela M.
For the Honorable Justice Mazzarelli, the consummate female judge “is highly intelligent, a great lawyer, and most importantly, a compassionate ...
Mcavoy, John V.
The judicial career of Justice John V. McAvoy was a long one, spanning 29 years or half his lifetime, as ...
Mccurn, Francis D.
Justice McCurn also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. Francis D. McCurn ...
Mcgivern, Owen
From his election to the State Assembly in 1939, Owen McGivern was known for his strong, persuasive and witty public ...
Mcguire, James M.
James M. McGuire was born on July 3, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Fordham University in 1975 and ...
Mclaughlin, Chester B.
In 1917, Judge McLaughlin was appointed, and later elected, to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. It ...
Mcnally, James B. M.
The motto "In God We Trust" is displayed over the bench of every judge in the State of New York ...
Merrell, Edgar S. K.
Justice Merrell also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. Edgar Sanford Keen ...
Miller, Nathan L.
In 1913, Judge Miller was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. Judge Miller also sat ...
Milonas, E. Leo
E. Leo Milonas was born on October 23, 1936, in New York City, the son of a Greek immigrant who ...
Moskowitz, Karla
Justice Karla Moskowitz is a 1966 graduate of Columbia Law School. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, ...
Murphy, Francis T.
Francis Timothy Murphy was born in the Bronx, New York, on April 21, 1927. After serving in the U.S. Navy ...
N
Nardelli, Eugene L.
Born in Italy in 1934 to an American mother, Justice Eugene L. Nardelli later moved with his family to the ...
Noonan, Robert E.
Justice Noonan also sat on the bench of the 4th Deparment; more information can be found HERE. Robert E. Noonan ...
Nunez, Emilio
Justice Emilio Nunez was a pioneer in New York's judicial system. He was the first Hispanic judge in New York ...
O
O'Brien, Morgan J.
Justice O'Brien also sat on the bench of the 2nd Department; more information can be found HERE. Morgan J. O'Brien ...
O'Malley, James
Born September 15, 1874 on a farm near Medina, New York to Michael and Bridget Whalen O'Malley, Justice O'Malley attended ...
P
Page, Alfred R.
Born on October 7, 1859 in Carlinville, Illinois, Justice Alfred Rider Page attended primary school in Vermont. In 1874 his ...
Parker, Alton B.
In 1898, Judge Parker was elected to the Court of Appeals as Chief Judge. See his full biography HERE. Alton ...
Patterson, Edward
As reported in the New York Times, September 3, 1900, "To the well-earned reputation of Justice Patterson for purity, learning, ...
Peck, David W.
Justice David Warner Peck played a leading role in court reform in the 1940s and 1950s. He oversaw the state's ...
Philbin, Eugene A.
It was said of Justice Eugene Ambrose Philbin that he has "by his opinions and work as a judge, erected ...
Proskauer, Joseph M.
Justice Proskauer was born on August 6, 1877 in Mobile Alabama to Alfred and Rebecca L. Proskauer. His family were ...
R
Rabin, Benjamin J.
Benjamin J. Rabin was born in Rochester, New York on June 3, 1896. He attended public schools and thereafter went ...
Renwick, Dianne T.
Presiding Justice Dianne Renwick is a lifelong resident of the Bronx. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Benjamin ...
RomáN, Nelson Stephen
Beginning his career as a police officer and eventually being appointed by the President of the United States as a ...
Rosenberger, Ernst H.
Prior to his distinguished career on the bench, Justice Ernst Rosenberger was active in the civil rights movement during the ...
Ross, David
Early on, David Ross gained some notoriety as a bantamweight boxer in the East Bronx. His political style was rooted ...
Rubin, Israel
Israel Rubin was born on December 14, 1926. He graduated from St. John's University in 1949 and received his law ...
Rumsey, William
Justice Rumsey also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. Born October 18, ...
S
Sandler, Leonard H.
Leonard H. Sandler was born on October 16, 1926, in the Bronx and moved with his family to the Lower ...
Saxe, David B.
Born on December 30, 1942 David B. Saxe was raised and educated in The Bronx, New York where he attended ...
Scott, Francis M.
Born in 1848 in New York City, to Thomas and Eleanor Augusta Scott, Justice Scott graduated from City College of ...
Shearn, Clarence J.
Clarence John Shearn was born in Leeds, Massachusetts in 1869. As a young man he graduated from Cornell University in ...
Sherman, Henry L.
It was said of Justice Henry L. Sherman that "He was one of the outstanding jurists of the day ...
Shientag, Bernard L.
In a Letter to the Editor of the New York Times upon the passing of Justice Shientag, Mr. James McGurrin ...
Silverman, Samuel J.
Samuel Joshua Silverman was born in Odessa, Russia, on September 25, 1908. He and his family emigrated to New York ...
Smith, George Bundy
In 1992, Judge Smith was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. A Freedom Rider and ...
Smith, Walter Lloyd
Justice Smith also sat on the bench of the 3rd and 4th Departments; more information can be found HERE and ...
Staley, Jr., Ellis J.
Justice Staley also sat on the bench of the 3rd Deparment; more information can be found HERE. Ellis J. Staley, ...
Steuer, Aron
It was said of Justice Aron Steuer that he "had an intellect clear, formidable and with a fine cutting edge ...
Stevens, Harold A.
In 1974, Judge Stevens was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. The first African American ...
Sullivan, Joseph P.
The son of a New York City Corrections Officer and a first generation American, Justice Joseph P. Sullivan has the ...
Sweeny, Jr., John W.
Associate Justice John W. Sweeny, Jr. is known for his focus, reliability, and unwavering dedication to treating all attorneys, litigants, ...
T
Tilzer, George
George Tilzer was born on September 17, 1899, in New York City. He received his law degree from New York ...
Tom, Peter
Justice Peter Tom’s career spanned over 30 years from his appointment as a Housing Court Judge to his position as ...
Townley, Alfred H.
Alfred H. Townley was born in upstate New York in 1876 and came to New York City as a young ...
U
Untermyer, Irwin
Irwin Untermyer, son of another famous lawyer, Samuel Untermyer, was born on February 2, 1886. A native New Yorker, he ...
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Valente, Francis L.
Upon the death of Justice Francis L. Valente, Bernard Botein, the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division First Department paid ...
Voorhis, John Van
In 1953, Judge Van Voorhis was appointed to the Court of Appeals. See his full biography HERE. Justice John Van ...
W
Wagner, Robert F.
Born in Nastatten, Germany on June 8, 1877 to Reinhard and Magdalene Schmidt Wagner, Justice Wagner immigrated to the United ...
Wallach, Richard W.
Born in 1927, Justice Wallach was raised in New York City and educated at the Fieldston School, where he was ...
Wasservogel, Isidor
Isidor Wasservogel was best known for conducting the inquiry into the activities of ambulance-chasing lawyers and accident claim agents in ...
Williams, Milton L.
Justice Milton L. Williams was born in Augusta, Georgia on November 14, 1932. His family moved to New York City ...
Williams, Pardon C.
Justice Williams also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. "In the thousand ...
Witmer, G. Robert
Justice Witmer also sat on the bench of the 4th Department; more information can be found HERE. G. Robert Witmer ...
Y
Yesawich, Jr., Paul J.
Justice Yesawich also sat on the bench of the 3rd Department; more information can be found HERE. Paul J. Yesawich, ...