Hon. Deborah Kaplan named deputy chief administrative judge for NYC Courts

October 4, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Veteran New York State judge Deborah Kaplan. Photo courtesy of NYS Court System

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Hon. Deborah A. Kaplan, a New York State judge since 2001 and the administrative judge of New York County Supreme Court’s Civil Term for the past three years, has been named deputy chief administrative judge for the New York City courts.

The appointment was Friday made with the approval of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and after consultation with Hon. Rolando T. Acosta and Hon. Hector LaSalle, presiding justices of the Appellate Division, First Department and Second Department, respectively.

In her new position, Judge Kaplan will oversee the management and day-to-day operations of New York City’s trial courts, which are among the largest and busiest in the country. Judge Kaplan succeeds Hon. George J. Silver, who is retiring from the bench.

“Judge Kaplan’s distinguished career is marked by hard work, innovation and a passion for the fair administration of justice. As administrative judge of the New York County Supreme Court’s Civil Term for the past three years, she successfully led the court in navigating the many difficulties arising from COVID-19, also working vigorously throughout her tenure to streamline operations and enhance access to justice, addressing inefficiencies in management and other practices and expanding ADR programs, among other efforts. I look forward to working with Judge Kaplan in her new capacity as we continue, in these most challenging of times, to take steps to advance the delivery and quality of justice in New York City’s trial courts,” said Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks.

Since January 2018, Judge Kaplan has served as administrative judge of New York County Supreme Court’s Civil Term, overseeing one of the nation’s busiest courts in addition to hearing matrimonial and other civil matters. Previously, she held the title of statewide coordinating judge for family violence cases, a post she assumed in 2015, also serving as interim administrative judge for civil and criminal matters in Richmond County from September 2017 to January 2018.

Judge Kaplan’s judicial career began with her 2001 election to the New York City Civil Court. She was subsequently assigned to the New York City Criminal Court bench in Manhattan. She was designated an acting Supreme Court Justice in 2007 and elected to the State Supreme Court, New York County, in 2012.

Before taking the bench, she held several non-judicial titles within the court system, including project counsel for treatment programs, and before that was a senior trial counsel for the Legal Aid Society, where she received the Orison S. Marden Award for her outstanding work.

Among her many professional activities, Judge Kaplan co-chairs the New York State Justice Task Force, chairs the New York State Judicial Committee on Elder Justice, is a member of the New York State Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts and the Advisory Committee on Court Access for People with Disabilities, and was a past president of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. She is a graduate of St. John’s University School of Law.

In appreciation of Judge Silver’s longstanding judicial service, Judge Marks added, “We are thankful to Judge Silver for his dynamic stewardship of the New York City trial courts as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge over the past four years–including his resilience and ingenuity in leading the city’s courts during the various stages of the pandemic–and for his immense contributions to the court system throughout his illustrious 16-year judicial career. I have enjoyed working closely with him and wish him the very best in all future pursuits.”

Judge Kaplan’s appointment is effective October 9, 2021.