FHWJC Judicial Mentoring Program

Over a decade ago, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission established the Judicial Mentor Program to promote diversity on the bench and to assist attorneys with interest to pursue judgeship. Judicial Mentors are judges who are working throughout the court system in criminal, civil, family, housing, and surrogates’ courts.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q - How do I become a Mentor or a Mentee?
A- To participate as a mentor or mentee, please send an email with the subject “Judicial Mentor Request” or “Judicial Mentee Request” to: FHWilliams@nycourts.gov.

The Judicial Mentor application can be found on the Commission’s website in the Judicial Mentor Tab: Judicial Mentor Program | NYCOURTS.GOV.

Q - Are there special requirements for mentees?
A – Attorneys interested in a judicial mentor with the FHW Commission should be admitted to the bar for a minimum of five years.

Q - Are there special requirements for mentors?
A - Mentors should be a judge in active status and willing to share their experiences and time.

Q - What is the time Commitment of the Mentor/Mentee relationship?
A- The time commitment for mentors is open-ended, allowing the mentors to establish a flexible relationship. However, we request that mentors and mentees meet a minimum of four times per year.

Below is a list of some of the judges who were mentees of the Williams Commission Judicial Mentor Program:

Hon. Seth Steed
Judge, NYC Civil Court

Hon. Phillip Dabney, Jr.
Judge, Buffalo City Court (elected in November 2021)

Hon. Rhonda Tomlinson
Judge, New York Court of Claims

Hon. Ramón E. Rivera
Judge, New York Court of Claims

Hon. Lillian Wan
Former Mentee – now elected Supreme Court Justice – Kings County – 2nd Judicial District

Hon. Germaine Auguste
Germaine Auguste was appointed to the criminal court bench in August 2021, by NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio.

Hon. Cassandra Aimée Johnson
NYC Civil Court – Queens (4th Municipal District)

Hon. Lisa Lewis
NYC Civil Court – 2nd Municipal District (Kings County)

Hon. Inga M. O’Neale
NYC Civil Court – Kings County

Hon. William T. Little
Judge, Albany County Court

Hon. Vidya Pappachan
Judge, appointed to Civil Court but assigned to Criminal Court

Hon. Giyang An
Judge, appointed to Civil Court but assigned to Criminal Court

Hon. Zoila Cassanova
Surrogate Judge of Passaic County, New Jersey

« Previous Article

Next Article »