Independent Judicial Administration Panel 2017

Whenever there are vacancies to be filled by election on the Civil or Supreme Court, the Manhattan Democratic Party convenes a screening panel to help select who will run as the Democratic nominee. Instead of having a purely political process, the Manhattan Democratic Party uses a unique Independent Judicial Screening Panel that reviews candidates based on application.

The panelists are selected by organizations which are invited to participate by the Manhattan Democratic Party Judicial Sub-Committee. While the Party selects the organizations, they have no direct say over who becomes a panelist nor in how the panelists vote. Twice each year at least 40 organizations are invited to participate and on average at least 20 representatives are empaneled.

For each empty seat on the court, the panel recommends between two and three candidates from all the available applicants. In the case of a Civil Court vacancy, the District Leaders, elected by Democratic voters in the Primary, vote to endorse one candidate who will gain support throughout entire the borough. In the case of the Supreme Court vacancy, the Judicial Delegates, also elected by Democratic voters in the Primary, then vote for the Democratic nominee from among the qualified candidates at a judicial convention.

The organizations which sent panelists for 2017 are:

  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)