Manhattan Democratic Party

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)

The New York County Democratic Committee has announced the formation of an Independent Screening Panel to report on candidates for nomination by the Democratic Party for

• two (2) New York county-wide Civil Court vacancies
• and one (1) Municipal Civil Court District vacancy,

which will be filled in the November general election. The heads of numerous bar associations, community’s 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 (3) Civil Court vacancies.

Candidates for the Court may obtain applications, via email, from the administrator of the panel:

Tanya M. Branch, Esq., at Brody& Branch LLP,
205 Lexington Avenue 4 th Floor, New York, NY 10016,
telephone number (212) 679-7007;
Email: Tanyabranch@brodybranch.com.

Questions concerning this year’s panel should be directed to the Panel Administrator, or the New York County Democratic Committee office at (212) 687-6540.

The deadline for submitting completed Civil Court applications is Friday, March 10, 2017 at 5PM.

The First Department of the Appellate Division of the State of New York is home to the finest members of the New York State Bar. New York County is filled with brilliant attorneys who aspire to the civil court, transcend to the supreme court, enhance the appellate division and ultimately shape the nation on the New York State Court of Appeals. New York County jurists have also done remarkable things on the federal bench.

In 2016, New York County saw candidates and sitting jurists with unprecedented talent and legal acumen. Many have changed the course of history, providing society with brave interpretations of the law and delivering justice in their various courtrooms. The independent judicial screening process employed by the New York County Democratic Committee has served this County, City, State and Country well. On behalf jolietta in canada of the New York County Democratic Committee and the people of the 1st Judicial District, we thank all those involved, particularly the hundreds of volunteer panel members who have served since 1977, for raising the bar for jurists and the administration of justice nation wide.

Thank you also to the panel and its administrator, Cyril K. Bedford, Esq. for their diligent work.

On July 19, 2016 the New York County Supreme Court Independent Judicial Screening Panel met and began the process of screening candidates for the nomination of the Democratic Party, at its Judicial Convention to be filled in the November General election. The panel screened four incumbents and several candidates for five vacancies on the New York State Supreme Court, 1st Judicial District (New York County). The following individuals were designated to serve on the panel by the corresponding organizations:

Anthony P. Luckie, Columbian Lawyers Association
Bruce N. Lederman, Jewish Lawyers Guild
Christine Bae, Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
Christoper Carrion, Domincan Bar Association
Daniela Nanau, National Employment Lawyers Association/New York
Deborah Riegel. Esq., New York City Bar Association
Diana Wong, Asian Americans for Equality
Elba Galvan, Esq., National Lawyers Guild, New York City Chapter
Josh Silber, New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Juan Gonzalez, Puerto Rican Bar Association
Kenny Louis, Women’s City Club
Lesley Horton Campbell, Esq., NAACP, Mid Manhattan Branch
Marea L. Wachsman, Esq., Women’s Trial Lawyer Caucus
Meredith Miller, The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (Le-Gal)
Merium Malik, Esq., Muslim Bar Association of New York City
Micahel A. Mosberg, Esq., American Academy of Matrimonial Law
Shu’aib Abdur-Raheem, Fortune Society
Dai Wai Chin Feman, Asian American Bar Association of New York
Trina Moore, Association of Black Women Attorneys
Brenda Gill, Fordham Law School

On August 30th, the Independent Judicial Screening Panel reported that the service of incumbents, Hon. Rolando T. Acosta, Hon. Rosalyn Richter and Hon. Troy Webber merit continuation. The Panel also reported the following candidates as most highly qualified for the six vacancies on the New York State Supreme Court, 1st Judicial District:

Anthony Cannataro
David Cohen
Melissa Crane
Erika Edwards
Paul Goetz
Shawn Kelly
Gerald Lebowitz
Verna Saunders
Jennifer Schecter
Adam Silvera
Lisa Sokoloff
Machelle Sweeting
Alex Tisch

Curtis Arluck & Louise Dankberg
Chair & Co-Cair
Judiciary Committee
New York County Democratic Committee

The New York County Democratic Committee has announced the formation of an Independent Screening Panel to report on candidates for nomination by the Democratic Party for one incumbent and four vacancies on the New York State Supreme Court vacancies, 1st Judicial District (New York County), which will be filled in the November general election. The chief operation officer of numerous bar associations, community organizations, and law schools designated the following members to the panel, which will report no more than the twelve most highly qualified candidates for the three Civil Court vacancies and review whether the incumbent’s service merits continuation.

Anthony P. Luckie, Columbian Lawyers Association
Bruce N. Lederman, Jewish Lawyers Guild
Christine Bae, Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
Christoper Carrion, Puerto Rican Bar Association
Daniela Nanau, National Employment Lawyers Association/New York
Deborah Riegel. Esq., New York City Bar Association
Diana Wong, Asian Americans for Equality
Elba Galvan, Esq., National Lawyers Guild, New York City Chapter
Josh Silber, New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Juan Gonzalez, Hispanic Bar Association
Kenny Louis, Women’s City Club
Kersuze Morancy, Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Lesley Horton Campbell, Esq., NAACP, Mid Manhattan Branch
Marea L. Wachsman, Esq., Women’s Trial Lawyer Caucus
Meredith Miller, The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (Le-Gal)
Merium Malik, Esq., Muslim Bar Association of New York City
Micahel A. Mosberg, Esq., American Academy of Matrimonial Law
Nial MacGiollabhui, Esq., Brehon Law Society
Shu’aib Abdur-Raheem, Fortune Society
Susan Bender, New York Women’s Bar Association
Dai Wai Chin Feman
Trina Moore
Brenda Gill

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 one incumbent and four vacancies on the New York State Supreme Court, 1st Judicial District (New York County), which will 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 fifteen most highly qualified candidates for the five vacancies and review whether the incumbents service merit continuation.

Candidates for the Court may obtain applications from the Administrator of the panel, Mr.
Cyril K. Bedford, via email at KBedford@BedfordSoumas.com​​beginning July 7, 2016 at 10AM.

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) 687­6540. The deadline for submitting completed applications is July 18, 2016, 2PM.