What's a judicial delegate? Here's why you should care

Ali Najmi and Ravisharon Kaur Khunkhun. Photos courtesy of the candidates

By Ali Najmi and Ravisharon Kaur Khunkhun

Running for office often comes with a rollercoaster of emotions and work, and this chaotic ride is usually reserved for high profile legislative positions. However, this year, we have decided to run for the elected party position of Democratic Judicial Delegate in the 24th Assembly District. Many observers have been curious as to why we are putting up the fight and effort for Judicial Delegate, so let us tell you why. 

First and foremost, Judicial Delegates are important! Under state law, there are no competitive primaries for Supreme Court Judges the way there are for Civil Court Judges. Political parties choose their nominees for Supreme Court pursuant to a Judicial Convention made up of elected Judicial Delegates from each assembly district across the county. Judicial Delegates then convene an annual convention where they have the ability to nominate and vote on candidates to become nominees for Supreme Court. In a Democratic county like Queens, those who come out of the convention as the Democratic nominee for Supreme Court are all but guaranteed victory in the General Election.  

We applaud our local Democratic leaders for their unwavering commitment to judicial diversity. It was through this commitment and vision of the Queens County Democratic Organization that Queens elected the first South Asian woman to Supreme Court in the entire State of New York in 2018. However, we still have a long way to go to ensure we have a judiciary as diverse as Queens. 

As two co-founders of a local minority bar association, and long-time practitioners in the Queens courts, we want to push the envelope of judicial diversity even further. Queens still has not elected judges who identify as Muslim, Sikh, are openly LGBTQ+, or identify as Indo-Caribbean. Our judiciary should also have more attorneys that have practiced criminal defense, civil rights, and worked for legal services organizations serving indigent clients.

The individuals best suited and most qualified to be judicial delegates are the members and leaders of local bar associations. Queens is blessed to have multiple bar associations reflecting the full diversity of the legal profession. Our colleagues in these associations are the practitioners who regularly appear in courts in Queens and understand what it takes to be a great judge. It is the bar association leaders of this county who should have a seat at the table and be able to nominate attorneys from their respective bar associations for judgeships. 

We call on all members of our local bar associations to throw their hats in the ring for Judicial Delegate next time, and we will be happy to show you how to get on the ballot and develop your candidacy. 

Ali Najmi is a criminal defense and election attorney. Ravisharon Kaur Khunkhun is a former court attorney and currently an immigration practitioner. Both are founding board members of the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean Bar Association of Queens. Both are candidates for Democratic Judicial Delegate In the 24th Assembly District. The primary is on June 23.