Brooklyn Judge Walker-Diallo named administrative judge of NYC Civil Court

August 9, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Brooklyn Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo receives a Citation from Borough President Eric L. Adams. Eagle photo by Francesca N. Tate

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Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks on Monday announced the appointment of Hon. Carolyn Walker-Diallo, most recently supervising judge of the New York City Civil Court in Kings County, as administrative judge of the New York City Civil Court.

The appointment was made with the approval of New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and after consultation with the Presiding Justices of the Appellate Division in the First and Second Departments, Hon. Rolando T. Acosta and Hon. Hector D. LaSalle, respectively.

In her new position, Judge Walker-Diallo will oversee the management of the New York City Civil Court which, operating in each of the city’s five boroughs, handles lawsuits involving damages up to $25,000, including small claims cases, as well as landlord-tenant and other matters.

Judge Walker-Diallo is filling a vacancy left by Judge Anthony Cannataro’s appointment this past June to the New York State Court of Appeals. Hon. George J. Silver, deputy chief administrative judge for the New York City Courts, has since been serving as administrative judge on an interim basis.

“Judge Walker-Diallo is eminently qualified to assume this important post. She has a proven record of success as supervising judge of the Civil Court in Kings County, where she adeptly navigated the many operational challenges presented by COVID-19, with the Brooklyn court, under her stewardship, resolving over 25,000 matters since the pandemic’s onset. An innovative leader, Judge Walker-Diallo is widely regarded for her dedicated pursuit of justice and commitment to excellence,” said Judge Marks.

Hon. Carolyn Walker-Diallo, supervising judge, at a Black History Month celebration at Kings County Civil Court. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

Judge Walker-Diallo was elected to the New York City Civil Court in 2016 and was initially assigned to the New York City Criminal Court in Kings County. She has been sitting in New York City Civil Court for the past three years, first in Manhattan, and since 2019 in Brooklyn, upon her designation as an acting Supreme Court justice and supervising judge of the New York City Civil Court in Kings County.

Prior to taking the bench, she was general counsel and chief compliance officer for Brooklyn Community Services, and before that served as a New York City administrative law judge.

Previously, she maintained a law and mediation practice, and served as an assistant corporation counsel with the New York City Law Department and as executive director for The George Walker Jr. Community Coalition. She began her legal career as a litigation associate at the firm of Milbank LLP.

Judge Walker-Diallo is a graduate of New York Law School and holds an M.B.A. from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College. Among her many affiliations, she is a member of the Board of Judges of the Civil Court of the City of New York, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges and the Muslim Bar Association of New York.

Added Judge Marks, “I want to express my appreciation to Judge Cannataro for his outstanding stewardship of the New York City Civil Court over the past three years, particularly for his resourcefulness and resilience during the pandemic. I am also grateful to Judge Silver who, despite his multiple responsibilities as deputy chief administrative judge, so graciously stepped in to serve as interim administrative judge.”

The appointment is effective Monday, Aug, 16, 2021.