The New York County Democratic Committee has announced the formation of an Independent Screening Panel to report on candidates for the nomination of the Democratic Party for three (3) vacancies on the New York Supreme Court, First Judicial District (New York County) to be nominated at its Judicial Convention, to be filled in the November general election. The heads of numerous bar associations, community organizations and law schools have been invited to nominate members of the panel, which will be directed to report a total of no more than the nine most highly qualified candidates for the three vacancies.

Candidates for the Court may obtain applications from the administrator of the panel, Mr. Ricardo Oquendo, via email at reo@odpllc.law beginning July 20, 2018. The deadline for submitting completed applications is August 9, 2018, 12 P.M. Questions concerning this year’s panel should be directed via email to the Panel Administrator or the New York County Democratic Committee office at (212) 687-6540.

The New York County Democratic Committee is pleased to announce the formation of an Independent Screening Panel on March 5th, 2018, to report on candidates for nomination by the Democratic Party for three vacancies on the New York County Civil Court, which will be filled in the November 6, 2018 general election. The panel will also report on whether the service for the last 10 years of current sitting Civil Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice Frank Nervo merits his continuation in office. The panel has received 25 designees from participating bar associations, law schools, and community groups, demonstrating the extensive outreach on behalf the Manhattan Democratic Party to the legal community and the vitality of the civil society surrounding the judiciary here in Manhattan. The panelists will review applicants to the Civil Court and report out those candidates they deem to be most qualified for election to the Civil Court. The designees and their designating organizations are as follows:

Joseph French, Brehon Law Society

Colleen M. Meenan, National Employment Lawyers Association/NY

Devi Vairavan, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys

Schuyler Carroll, New York City Bar Association

Joam Alisme, New York Law School

Dana Stutman, American Academy of Matrimonial Law

Song Kim, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Anais Aguilar-Schiro, Columbian Lawyers Association

Inie Park, Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York

Tiffany Femiano, MFY Legal Services

Evelyn Gong, Asian Bar Association of New York

Pamela B. Goldsmith, The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (Le-Gal)

Sean Farrow, Metropolitan Black Bar Association

Tina Wells, New York State Trial Lawyers Association

Allison Hobbs, Association of Black Women Attorneys

David Kaminsky, Jewish Lawyers Guild

Carlos Mulles, Dominican Bar Association

Stanley Gleaton, Mid Manhattan Branch of the NAACP

Benjamin Metsch, Fortune Society

Ruben Stepanian, Armenian Bar Association

Carolyn M. Caccese, Women’s Trial Lawyers Caucus

Kimberly Warner, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation

Brandon Hicks, National Action Network

On May 1, 2018, the Independent Judicial Screening Panel for Civil Court reported the following candidates as most highly qualified for two (2) county-wide Civil Court vacancies and a single vacancy in the 5th Civil Court District:

Shahabuddeen Ally
Lawrence Bosley
Ariel Chesler
Erik Gray
Hilary Gingold
Elsa Marie Hampton
Elyssa Kates
Ilana Marcus
Valentina Morales
Nicholas Moyne
Grace Park
Robert Rosenthal

Thank you to the panel and its administrator for their diligent work.

Sincerely,
Curtis Arluck and Louise Dankberg
Co-Chairs, Judiciary Committee

The New York County Democratic Committee is pleased to announce the formation of an Independent Screening Panel to report on candidates for nomination by the Democratic Party for five vacancies on the New York State Supreme Court vacancies, 1st Judicial District (New York County), which will be filled in the November 8, 2017 general election. The panel has received an unprecedented 32 designees from participating bar associations, law schools, and community groups, demonstrating the extensive outreach on behalf the Manhattan Democratic Party to the legal community and the vitality of the civil society surrounding the judiciary here in Manhattan. The panelists will review applicants to the Supreme Court and report out those candidates they deem to be most qualified for election to the Supreme Court. The designees and their designating organizations are as follows:

Silvia Babikian, Armenian Bar Association
Leona Beane , New York Women’s Bar Association
Cara Berkowitz,  Jewish Board of Family & Childrens’ Services
Tanya N. Blocker,  Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Kieran Conlon, Brehon Law Society
Harley Diamond,  Lesbian & Gay Bisexual & Transgender Community Service Center
Erika Donovan Estades,  Latino Leadership Institute
Gerald Eber, Fortune Society
Jeremy Feigenbaum,  Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
Elizabeth Fischer,  Neighborhood Defenders Service of Harlem
Qian Gao, Asian Bar Association of New York
Megan Goddard,  National Employment Lawyers Association/NY
Janice Grubin,The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (Le-Gal)
Evan Hasbrook, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys
Amin Kassam,  Muslim Bar Association of New York City
James Lee,  Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
John Low-Beer,  City Club
Elizabeth Lynch,  MFY Legal Services
Steve Madra, Asian Americans for Equality
Nelson Mar,  Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Deborah Martin Owens,Women’s City Club
Scott Occhiogrosso, New York State Trial Lawyers Association
William Pagan, Puerto Rican Bar Association
Carlos Perez-Hall,  New York City Bar Association
Vianny M. Pichardo,  Dominican Bar Association
Ann Schneider,  National Lawyers Guild
Meryl Schwartz,  Women’s Trial Lawyers Caucus
Iris Springer-Elkerson,  Association of Black Women Attorneys
Andrew Targum,  Jewish Lawyers’ Guild
Shanelle Washington,  Mid Manhattan Branch of the NAACP
Kenneth Willis,  New York Urban League
Melissa Ysaguirre,  Legal Services Staff Association

In April 0f this year, Independent Judicial Civil Court Screening Panels were convened to screen candidates for the endorsement of the Democratic Party for two (2) New York County-wide Civil Court vacancies, (1) one vacancy in the 5th Civil Court District, and (1) vacancy in the 9th Civil Court Districts, to be filled in the November 8, 2017 General Election after the September 12, 2017 Primary Election. The following individuals were designated to County-wide panel:

1. Barrie, Susan – National Lawyers Guild
2. Binns, Christopher – Chair (MBBA)
3. Bloom, Jeffrey – Chair (New York State Trial Lawyers Association)
4. Cittadino, Joshua – Colombian Lawyers Association
5. Cole, Cassye – Chair (Association of Black Women Attorneys)
6. Delince, Patrick J. (NELA – NY)
7. Espinosa, Jeanette- Chair (PRBA)
8. Fitzgerald, Christopher – (Brehon Law Society)
9. Grippo, Jonathan – Jewish Community Relations Council
10. Hill, Julian (NAACP- Mid Manhattan)
11. Hoffman, David (Jewish Lawyers Guild)
12. Jacobs, Fran – (NYC Bar Association)
13. Jentsch. Bernadette – Chair (MFY Legal Services)
14. Kolod, Alexandra – (Le-Gal)
15. Malik, Merium – Chair (Muslim Bar Association of NYC)
16. Mateo, Ray – (Hispanic Bar Association)
17. Min, Richard – Asian Americans for Equality
18. Ogulluk, Sevan – American Bar Association
19. Paramio, Omar Almanzar – Chair (Dominican Bar Association)
20. Park, E. Grace – Chair (Korean American Lawyers)
21. Polner, Kira – New York Law School
22. Sundt, Jennifer (New York Women’s Bar)
23. Varghese, Vinoo – (Asian American Bar)
24. Wu, Jason – Chair (Association of Legal Aid Attorneys)

On May 2, 2017, the Independent Judicial Screening Panel for Civil Court reported the following candidates as most highly qualified for two (2) county-wide Civil Court vacancies and a single vacancies in the 5th and 9th Civil Court District:

1. Suzanne Adams
2. Lawrence Bosley
3. Ariel Chesler
4. Hilary Gingold
5. Elyssa Kates
6. Phaedra Perry
7. Leslie stroth
8. Richard Tsai
9. Kathleen Waterman

Thank you to the panel and its administrator for their diligent work.

Sincerely,
Curtis Arluck and Louise Dankberg
Co-Chairs, Judiciary Committee