Brooklyn’s Justice Joanne Quiñones appointed to Appellate Term, making history during Hispanic Heritage Month

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Joanne Quiñones has been appointed to the Appellate Term of the Second, Eleventh and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, covering Kings, Queens and Richmond counties. 

Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas announced her appointment on Tuesday, along with that of Justice Joseph Conway, who will serve in the Appellate Term’s Ninth and Tenth Judicial Districts.

Justice Quiñones, who has served in the Kings County Supreme Court’s Criminal Term since her election in 2023, replaces Justice Phillip Hom, who was recently elevated to the Appellate Division, Second Department. 

“It is an incredible honor to be appointed to serve on the Appellate Term,” Justice Quiñones said. “As a judge of Latinx descent, being appointed during Hispanic Heritage Month makes it all the more special. I am extremely grateful to Chief Administrative Judge Zayas, First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge St. George and Presiding Justice LaSalle for this appointment. 

“I look forward to working with the other members of the court to ensure that the appeals of litigants from New York City’s Criminal and Civil Courts continue to receive the time, attention and seriousness they deserve,” Quiñones added.

Justice Quiñones has a long history of public service in Brooklyn and New York City, beginning her judicial career in New York City Criminal Court, where she served in the Bronx, Kings and New York counties. She was designated as an acting Supreme Court Justice in Kings County in 2017, handling criminal and matrimonial cases. 

Prior to her judicial career, she worked as a staff attorney for The Legal Aid Society and served as principal court attorney to Hon. Matthew Cooper.

Throughout her career, Justice Quiñones has been deeply committed to mentoring and supporting diversity in the legal profession. She chairs several mentorship committees, including the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Mentorship Committee and the Latino Judges Association’s Summer Internship Program and has taken on countless interns and mentees over the years. She is also a past president of both the Latino Judges Association and the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association.

“Justice Quiñones is a highly respected jurist known for her fairness, integrity, and dedication to the law,” said Chief Administrative Judge Zayas. “Her new role on the Appellate Term will benefit the community tremendously, given her extensive experience and unwavering commitment to justice.”

Justice Conway, who has been serving on the Nassau County Supreme Court since 2021, will fill a vacancy created by the elevation of Justice James McCormack to the Appellate Division. With a background that includes years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and a focus on complex legal issues, Conway will be handling appeals from cases originating in Long Island and several upstate counties.

The Appellate Term courts hear appeals from civil and criminal cases originating in the lower courts. The Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, where Justice Quiñones will preside, hear appeals from New York City’s Civil and Criminal Courts in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.