Hon. Adam Silvera has been named the new deputy chief administrative judge for the New York City Courts, as announced by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas. The appointment, approved by Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, was made after consultation with Appellate Division Presiding Justices Dianne Renwick of the First Department and Hector LaSalle of the Second Department.
In his new role, Justice Silvera will oversee the administration and day-to-day operations of New York City’s trial courts, which are among the largest and busiest in the country. He succeeds Supreme Court Justice Deborah Kaplan, who will now lead a citywide alternative dispute resolution (ADR) initiative, building on her experience in mediating complex civil matters.
“Judge Silvera is a talented jurist and forward-thinking leader with strong administrative skills and intimate knowledge of court system operations,” Chief Administrative Judge Zayas said. “An exemplary member of New York’s judiciary who is widely admired for his fairness, hard work and collegiality, he has deftly navigated the many operational and other challenges he faced over the past three years as the administrative judge of New York County’s Supreme Court-Civil Term in Manhattan.
“I am eager to work with him in his new capacity in our efforts to meet the varied and evolving justice needs of those served by the trial courts throughout the city’s five boroughs,” Zayas continued.
Justice Silvera’s judicial career began in 2014 when he was elected to the New York City Civil Court. He first served as a Family Court judge in Brooklyn, handling a range of cases including custody, visitation and family offenses. He was later assigned to the Civil Court in Brooklyn and Manhattan, where he presided over consumer credit cases and matters involving self-represented litigants.
In 2017, Justice Silvera was designated as an acting Supreme Court justice and assigned to the Integrated Domestic Relations Part in Manhattan, where he handled both Family Court matters and divorce actions. He was elected to the Supreme Court-Civil Term in New York County in 2018, where he initially presided over a motor vehicle part and later served as the New York City Asbestos Litigation coordinating judge. In October 2021, he was elevated to the Appellate Term, First Department, hearing appeals from the New York City Civil and Criminal Courts.
Before his judicial career, Judge Silvera was a senior associate at Paul B. Weitz & Associates, specializing in personal injury, negligence, medical malpractice, labor law and civil rights matters. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.
Justice Silvera’s appointment will take effect on Sept. 9, 2024.
“I want to express my deep thanks to the judicial leadership of the New York State Unified Court System for trusting me to help carry out their continuing vision for our third branch of government,” said Justice Silvera. “I want them to know that my steadfast commitment to administering fair and effective justice for all New Yorkers will endure as I embark upon my new position.
“I promise to work tirelessly to get it right, to collaborate with my judicial and non-judicial colleagues and with our many stakeholder partners so that together we can continue moving forward in building an invigorated court system that reflects our shared civic values,” he said.
In appreciation of outgoing Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Kaplan, Judges Zayas and St. George thanked her for her long-standing judicial service and many contributions to the court system. Justice Kaplan expressed her eagerness to return to the courtroom and continue her work on key initiatives, including co-chairing the Justice Task Force and chairing the New York State Committee on Elder Justice.
