Queens-raised judge appointed to senior spot in Appellate Division

Justice Valerie Brathwaite Nelson has served on the New York bench for over a decade, and on the constitutional bench for three months. Photo courtesy of Brathwaite Nelson

By Rachel Vick

At the beginning of the year, Queens-raised Justice Valerie Brathwaite Nelson, the first Black from Queens woman to serve in the state’s appellate division, was appointed to a senior seat on the court by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Brathwaite Nelson now sits on the constitutional bench as justice presiding for the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, whose jurisdiction spans 10 counties across the state.

“It was my great honor that Governor Hochul designated me to serve on the constitutional bench,” she told the Eagle. “This has been a very fulfilling time in my life and I'm enjoying the new role.”

“I've been making valuable contributions to the court and look forward to continuing with valuable contributions in the second department,” Brathwaite Nelson added. “It's been a fulfilling experience to have been appointed and entrusted with contributing to shaping the law in New York State.”

Her new role includes serving as justice presiding during oral arguments, providing leadership as justices decide and resolve appeals and assisting the presiding justice in developing new policies.

Brathwaite Nelson, appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Department in February 2016, was the first African American woman from Queens to be elevated to associate justice of the Appellate Division.

She was first elected to the Supreme Court of the State of New York in 2005, and served in her home borough before being appointed to the higher court. She said that her background in Queens helped prepare her for her tenure in the appellate court, where she sees cases from the tip of Suffolk to counties upstate, covering nearly every area of law.

“My experience in Queens, growing up and serving for so many years, has really prepared me for the diversity of the Second Department because we see people from all walks of life, making all kinds of arguments and… the issues are diverse depending on the part of Queens so there are a lot of similarities,” she said.

She said that of the many duties she fulfills, one of her favorites is getting to preside over the induction of newly barred lawyers, and getting to see firsthand the pride emanating from them and their support systems.

“I have an opportunity to observe new attorneys at the very beginning of their career and I share with them, when given the opportunity, the experience that I've had over many years as a member of the bar and then the bench,” Brathwaite Nelson explained. “I hope they take from my conversation with them that they too have a future in the law and in the court system.”

Though she finds joy in the moments of transition for newly minted attorneys, there is also great satisfaction and inspiration from those working to ensure justice and the individuals seeking justice themselves. The inspiration, she said, pushes her commitment to diligence further.

“I have the highest degree of respect for the judges that serve in our court system and I respect the system itself because it provides an opportunity for people to obtain justice,” Brathwaite Nelson said. “I continue to find a lot of strength and inspiration in people who come to court to seek justice; it takes time and in many cases courage so I continue to find inspiration in those [people].”