E

• Author: Elizabeth Smith/Mark Thompson
• Pages: 351-363

EDMEAD, CAROL ROBINSON

Justice, First Judicial District Supreme

Court, New York County

Appointment/Election: Elected November

5, 2002 for a term commencing on January 6,

2003. Judge, Civil Court of the City of New

York; elected November 3, 1998 for a term

commencing on January 4, 1999. Official

Oath Date: November 17, 1998.

Previous Experience: Nixon Peabody,

Counsel, August 1998-November 1998;

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,

Counsel/Senior Litigator, 1992–1998;

Townley & Updike, Associate, 1991–1992;

Proskauer Rose, Litigation Department,

Associate, 1988–1990; Corporation Counsel

of the City of New York, Commercial

Litigation Division, Assistant Corporation

Counsel, 1985–1988; Association of Small

Claims Arbitrators, Civil Court of the City

of New York, Small Claims Part—Harlem,

Arbitrator, since 1991; Contract Dispute

Resolution Board, City of New York, Office

of the Mayor, Office of Construction,

Arbitrator, 1997.

Honors and Memberships: Member:

Appellate Division First Department Judicial

Screening Committee, 1997-98; Fellow of the

American Bar Foundation, New York State

Fellows, American Bar Association; New

York State Bar Assn., Delegate, 1994-97;

Exec. Officer, 1993-97; New York County

Lawyers Assn. (Committee on Nominations,

1995-2001; Committee on Committees,

1995-98; Board of Directors, 1992-95;

Committee on the Supreme Court, since

1985; Co-Chair, Civil Court Practice Section,

2000-2002); Assn. Of the Bar of the City of

New York, Banking Law Committee, 1994-

97; Federal Courts Committee, 1991-1994;

Construction Law Committee, 1989-91;

Chair, Minorities in the Courts Committee,

2000-2002; Member, Council on Judicial

Administration, 2000-2003; Assn. Of Small

Claims Arbitrators, Board of Directors,

1994-98; Treasurer, 1998; Network of Bar

Leaders, Representative for Assn. Of Small

Claims Arbitrators, 1994-95; National Assn.

Of Women Judges; American Bar Assn.;

Metropolitan Black Bar Assn.; Assn. Of

Black Women Attorneys; New York State

Women’s Bar.

Admission: Admitted to New York State

Bar in 1986; Washington D.C., February

1987; United States District Courts for the

Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of

New York, 1986; United States Court of

Appeals fo the Second Circuit, 1987; United

States Tax Court, 1996; Supreme Court of

the United States of America, 1989.

Teaching/Lectures/Panelist: Medgar

Evers College of the City University of New

York, Lecturer in American literature, fresh-

man English, and basic writing. Coordinated

the Basic Skills Program, supervising fifteen

faculty and tutors, 1973–1986.

Education: J.D., Brooklyn Law School

(1985) (Recipient: American Jurisprudence

Awards in Trusts, and Domestic Relations;

Member of the Executive Board, Moot Court

Honor Society; Brooklyn Law School

Representative to the Benton National Moot

Court Competition, Chicago, Illinois.) M.A.,

Columbia University (1974). City College of

the City University of New York, NY (1973)

(Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude,

Dean’s List, Chancellor, Alpha Sigma

Lambda Honor Society).

Address: Supreme Court

60 Centre Street, Room 529

New York, NY 10013-4390

Phone: (212) 374-8515

Fax: (212) 374-8355

ATTORNEYS’ COMMENTS

TEMPERAMENT/DEMEANOR

A majority of the attorneys who were inter-

viewed about Justice Edmead said they

appreciate the way she conducts herself on

the bench, though they conceded that not

everyone likes her decidedly “no-nonsense”

demeanor. “She is a bit forceful in her tone. I

will say that,” said one attorney. “It may both-

er some lawyers who can’t handle a judge

who is forceful and somewhat opinionated

about things. But that doesn’t bother me

because if you’re able to stand up for yourself

and your client, that shouldn’t bother you.

My overall impression would be that she is a

no-nonsense judge who works very hard,

expects the lawyers to work hard and to be

prepared and to be ready to proceed.” Another

interviewee who likes Justice Edmead said, “I

Profiles Edmead 333