Mayor officially announces judicial appointments of Clarke, Ramseur-Usher and others

March 15, 2023 Robert Abruzzese

Mayor Adams officially announced 10 new judicial appointments on Tuesday and at least four of those new judges will be sitting in Brooklyn or have ties to the borough including Hon. Raymi Ramseur-Usher, Hon. Sharon N. Clarke, Hon. Janet M. McDonnell, and Hon. Nisha Menon. Eagle photos by Robert Abruzzese.

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CITYWIDE — Mayor Eric Adams announced a total of 10 judicial appointments, including six to Family Court, three to Criminal Court and one interim appointment to Civil Court.

The appointees to Family Court are Judges Lauren T. Broderick, Sharon N. Clarke, Janette Cortes-Gomez, Nisha Menon, Hari K. Singh, and Raymi V. Ramseur-Usher. Appointees to Criminal Court are Judges Matthew V. Grieco, Janet M. McDonnell and Jennifer A. Tubridy. Judge Craig J. Ortner was appointed to the Civil Court.

“Ensuring our courts are operating more efficiently and effectively will not only help reduce the backlog of cases that built up over the pandemic, but is a critical factor in advancing our administration’s vision of advancing public safety and justice,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we are announcing the appointments of 10 deeply-experienced, talented and committed individuals who will carry out that mission and deliver on the core functions of our judicial system every day. We are proud to have such a highly-qualified, diverse judiciary that aims to make our city more just and more safe for all New Yorkers.”

At least three of those judges will be sitting in Brooklyn including Hon. Clarke, Hon. Ramseur-Usher, and Hon. McDonnell. Hon. Menon has previously served as a referee in the Kings County Family Court.

Judge Sharon N. Clarke, a former social worker, served with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, Community Family Planning Council, and North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center. She started her legal career with the New York State Unified Court System in Nassau County Family Court, holding various roles over 16 years, including court attorney, associate court attorney, and most recently, court attorney referee.

Judge Nisha Menon previously worked as a litigation associate at a private firm and staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice for over seven years. Later, she served as general counsel for a manufacturing and engineering company before joining the New York State Unified Court System, where she has been a court attorney referee in Kings County Family Court for the past six years.

Judge Raymi V. Ramseur-Usher started her legal career as a litigation associate with a private firm and later established and maintained a solo practice for more than 14 years. Afterward, she worked for the New York State Unified Court System in Kings County Supreme, Family and Civil courts for 12 years. Before her appointment as a judge, she served as a principal law clerk.

Judge Janet M. McDonnell’s legal career began at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where she worked for over 21 years in various capacities, such as the Orange Zone, Crimes Against Children Bureau, and Early Case Assessment Bureau/Arraignments. She also held roles as deputy bureau chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau and deputy unit chief of the Criminal Court. In 2019, she joined the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office as deputy bureau chief and acting bureau chief of Criminal Court. Before her appointment as a judge, she was the first deputy chief of the Criminal Court Bureau.

Judges appointed by the New York City mayor serve different terms depending on the type of court they are appointed to. For Family Court and Criminal Court judges, their term of office is ten years. For Civil Court judges, their term of office is six years. After their term expires, judges may be reappointed by the mayor for additional terms.