Brooklyn Justice Paul Wooten appointed to the Appellate Division

November 5, 2019 Rob Abruzzese

Hon. Paul Wooten is leaving the Brooklyn Supreme Court to join the Appellate Division, Second Department, bench. File photos by Rob Abruzzese

Share this:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the appointment of four new justices to the Appellate Division on Friday. Among them was Justice Paul Wooten, who was promoted to the Second Department.

Justice Wooten formerly sat in the Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term, before his appointment to the Appellate Division where he will hear appeals from the Supreme Courts in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley.

Also promoted on Friday were Hon. Lizbeth Gonzalez, assigned to the First Department, Hon. John Colangelo and Hon. Molly Reynolds Fitzgerald, assigned to the Third Department, and Hon. Tracey Bannister, assigned to the Fourth Department.

Hon. Paul Wooten (left) with Hon. Alan Scheinkman, presiding justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department.

“These appointees represent some of the best and brightest legal minds in the Empire State, displaying exceptional integrity, temperament and commitment to public service,” Cuomo said. “I am proud to appoint these judges to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court and am confident they will do a great job as stewards of New York’s judicial system.”

Justice Wooten was elected to the Supreme Court in 2009. Prior to that, he worked as a solo practitioner at Paul Wooten & Associates and served as counsel to the New York State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, special assistant to the New York City Board of Education, first deputy counsel to the New York City Charter Revision Commission, and chief of staff to the vice-chairperson of the New York State Democratic Party at the national convention.

The judge also served as counsel to the Coalition for Community Empowerment, and was chief of staff and counsel for former Assemblymember Al Vann.

A Northeastern Law School and University of Hartford graduate, Wooten is one of the founding members of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association.