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Judges Silver and Mendelson promoted to replace Justice Fern Fisher

Fisher to Retire in June After 28 Years

March 31, 2017 By Rob Abruzzese, Legal Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Hon. George J. Silver. Eagle file photos by Rob Abruzzese
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A pair of local judges, Hon. George J. Silver and Hon. Edwina G. Mendelson, were promoted to administrative positions within the New York City courts system, Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks announced on Thursday.

Silver is now the deputy chief administrative judge for the New York City Courts and Mendelson is deputy chief administrative judge for Justice Initiatives. The appointments were made with the approval of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and in consultation with the presiding justices of the departments of the Appellate Division.

“We are fortunate to have two such exemplary members of New York’s Judiciary as part of the court system’s administrative team,” said Marks. “Judges Silver and Mendelson are highly accomplished judges, each with a proven record of effective management and a reputation for hard work, integrity and innovation.

“They are well-prepared to meet the demands of these critically important assignments,” Marks continued. “I am eager to work with them in our ongoing efforts to achieve and maintain excellence throughout the court system and advance the delivery of justice in New York.”

The two will be taking over the roles of the Hon. Fern Fisher, who is retiring in June after she served as the deputy chief administrative judge for the New York City Courts and head of the Access to Justice Program for the past eight years.

“I am sincerely grateful to Fern Fisher for her enormous contributions as deputy chief administrative judge for New York City Courts and director of the Access to Justice Program,” said Marks. “Her ability to successfully — and simultaneously — manage these two extremely demanding roles has been remarkable and a testament to her exceptional leadership, tireless work ethic and passionate pursuit of equal justice.

“She has been a steady, resourceful steward of the city’s trial-level courts, an innovator in the access-to-justice arena and a major figure in New York’s Judiciary over the course of her distinguished 28-year tenure in the court system,” he continued. “I have enjoyed working closely with Judge Fisher and wish her the best in all future endeavors.”

Silver will oversee the day-to-day management of the trial courts throughout the city. Mendelson will be in charge of initiatives to “ensure meaningful access to justice in civil and criminal matters for all New Yorkers regardless of income, background or special needs,” according to a press release issued by the NYS Unified Court System.

Silver, a graduate of Hofstra Law School, was first elected to the bench of the New York City Civil Court in January 2005, where he served until 2009 when he was assigned to the Bronx Family Court. He was then designated acting Supreme Court justice in November 2009. He was elected to the Supreme Court bench in November 2013. Prior to becoming a judge, he was a partner in Silver & Santo LLP, which handled personal injury, maritime and commercial matters.

Mendelson, a CUNY School of Law graduate, was appointed to the New York City Family Court in January 2003 and reappointed in 2014. She served as a supervising judge in Family Court in Queens and as administrative judge of the New York City Family Courts from May 2009 until October 2015. She has been acting Supreme Court justice since 2015. Prior to working as a judge, she was a court attorney referee in Queens Family Court.

 

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