Two new judges appointed to Brooklyn Housing Court

August 16, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

The appointments are part of a larger initiative funded by the Governor and Legislature to address backlogs in Housing Court. Image: Yuliia/Adobe Stock

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Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas announced the appointment of two new judges to the Brooklyn Housing Court as part of a broader effort to address increasing caseloads and improve access to justice in New York City. The newly appointed judges, Javier E. Ortiz and Elyssa O. Slutzky, bring extensive experience in housing law and are set to begin their five-year terms on Aug. 15, 2024.

Javier E. Ortiz has served as an associate court attorney in the New York County Housing Court, where he conducted legal research, drafted orders and mediated settlements. Before joining the court system, Ortiz worked as a staff attorney at Mobilization for Justice Inc.’s Housing Unit and at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where he represented clients in Queens Housing Court. He earned his law degree from St. John’s University School of Law and has been involved in mentoring law students through his alma mater’s moot court program.

141 Livingston St. in Downtown Brooklyn, home to the Brooklyn Housing Court, where residents address landlord-tenant disputes and other housing-related matters. Screenshot via Google Maps

Elyssa Slutzky has been working as a court attorney-referee at Nassau County Supreme Court and as special counsel to the county’s village courts. Slutzky first joined the Unified Court System in 2014, where she served as an associate court attorney in the New York County Housing Court. She began her legal career in 1993 as an associate attorney at a New York City law firm and holds a law degree from New York Law School.

The appointments of Ortiz and Slutzky are part of a larger initiative funded by the Governor and Legislature to address backlogs in Housing Court. These new judgeships, along with additional court attorneys and clerical staff, aim to improve case processing and provide better support for New York City residents facing housing-related legal issues.

Correction: In an article published on Thursday, Aug. 15, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on the appointment of new judges to the Brooklyn Housing Court. Unfortunately, the article inadvertently referenced the wrong Judge Javier Vargas. The article mistakenly discussed Judge Javier Vargas of the Brooklyn Civil Court rather than the Judge Javier Vargas, who sits in the Brooklyn Housing Court. We apologize to both judges for this oversight.