Date: November 19, 2003

NEW YORK - Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman today announced the appointment of Hon. H. Patrick Leis, III, as Administrative Judge of Suffolk County courts. The appointment, effective immediately, was made with the approval of Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye and in consultation with Presiding Justice A Gail Prudenti, of the Appellate Division, Second Department.

Judge Lippman said, "Justice Leis’s nearly three-decade career in the law covers an impressive breadth of expertise, spanning experience in both criminal and civil arenas, and including service as a judge in three different courts: Supreme, Family, and County Courts. Judge Leis is a highly respected and long-time member of the Long Island legal community, known for his diligence, keen knowledge of the law and impeccable integrity. He has shown himself to be a fair and judicious administrator both as Presiding Justice of the Suffolk County Integrated Domestic Violence Court and Supervising Judge of the Supreme Court Matrimonial Parts. The broad spectrum of experience that Judge Leis possesses will be highly advantageous in his new role as Administrative Judge, a position in which he will oversee the operations of the multiple trial courts of Suffolk County. I am grateful to Judge Leis for accepting this critical and challenging assignment and am confident that under his skilled leadership, the courts of the Tenth Judicial District will continue to be superb examples of productivity and public service."

Justice Leis was elected to the Supreme Court in 1995 and has handled a variety of cases on that bench, including matrimonial and guardianship cases. Currently, he is the Presiding Justice of the Suffolk County Integrated Domestic Violence Court, a court that handles the many legal issues—criminal, family and matrimonial—that can arise when domestic violence occurs, as well as serving as the Supervising Judge of the Supreme Court Matrimonial Parts for the past three years. Justice Leis began his judicial tenure as a Family Court Judge and was later elected to County Court, during which time he was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice. Prior to becoming a judge, Justice Leis was the Bureau Chief in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office after serving earlier as a prosecutor in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Justice Leis has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association and co-chaired the Suffolk County Bar Association Bench Bar Committee. He is an instructor at Hofstra Law School and an adjunct professor at Touro Law School, specializing in family and matrimonial matters and trial advocacy. Justice Leis, a Suffolk County resident for the past three decades, is married and has two sons.

In his new position as Administrative Judge of the Suffolk Courts, Justice Leis fills a post left vacant after the passing of Hon. Alan D. Oshrin in August of this year.