J

• Author: Elizabeth Smith/Mark Thompson
• Pages: 467-474

JAMES, DEBRA A.

Acting Justice, First Judicial District

Supreme Court, Civil Term,

New York County

Appointment/Election: Appointed to

Supreme Court by Chief Administrative

Judge Jonathan Lippman, 2002-present;

Judge, Civil Court of the City of New York,

New York County, 1995-2004; present term,

2005-2014.

Previous Experience: General Counsel,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp., 1986-

1994; Associate Counsel, State of N.Y.

Mortgage Agency Loan Enforcement and

Adm. Corp., 1985-1986; Associate Counsel,

NYS Mortgage Loan, 1983-1985; Assistant

Corporation Counsel, Law Department, City

of New York, 1979-1983.

Honors and Memberships: Member:

Executive Committee, New York City Bar

Association, 2010-present; Chair, Women in

Prison Committee, National Association of

Women Judges, (New York District 2), 2008-

present; House of Delegates, New York State

Bar Association (NYCBA Representative),

2008-present; Chair, Minorities in the

Courts Committee, New York City Bar

Association, 2005-2008.

Admission: NYS, Appellate Division, First

Department, 1979.

Education: J.D., Cornell Law School

(1978); B.A., Cornell University (1975).

Address: 71 Thomas Street

New York, NY 10013

Phone: (646) 386-3351

ATTORNEYS’COMMENTS

TEMPERAMENT/DEMEANOR

Most of the attorneys interviewed about

Justice James had no complaints about her

demeanor. “She is cordial. She is a good per-

son,” said one. Another called her “fair and

courteous” while a third interviewee said she

is “professional and courteous” and added

that “it’s a pleasure to be in front of her.”

Another interviewee said, “She is a nice per-

son with a good judicial temperament, as are

the law clerks who work for her part. In gen-

eral, I would say I have found it to be a part

where the judge and her staff treat the

lawyers well.” The one interviewee who had a

long trial in her court was also the only inter-

viewee who criticized her temperament. “She

is the worst judge I have ever been before,”

the interviewee said. “Her personal demeanor

is short, curt and rude.”

ON THE BENCH

Most interviewees said Justice James

takes too long to render decisions, but most

were impressed with her judicial acumen

anyway. “I would say that she has a firm

grasp of law and that she takes the time to

look at the nuances that are presented to her

in arguments. So overall, I would give her a

high rating,” said one interviewee. Another

said, “She’s great. I think she reads your

papers and takes oral arguments and consid-

ers your positions.” The interviewee who

offered the strongest complaint about the

length of time that it sometimes takes Justice

James to issue rulings added, “She is basi-

cally a fair judge, but I would not give her

high marks for scholarship or anything like

that. She has difficulty separating relevant

issues from issues that are not relevant. Let

me put it that way.” The attorney who had a

lengthy trial in her court also found her lack-

ing in knowledge of law. “I don’t believe she

knows the evidence code, and during the

course of the trial, when there were issues of

law to be raised, she did not know them or

make a good effort to learn them,” the attor-

ney said. Other interviewees defended the

way she and her staff run her court, and

blamed the delays in getting rulings to the

crush of cases that are on her calendar. “It is

a very busy part, so it is often very crowded

when you go, which is typical of most of the

Supreme Court civil divisions,” one intervie-

wee said. “But when I have argued motions

in her part, she has been very good. She gen-

erally has read the papers. She understands

the law. So she is pretty good, I think.”

Another attorney remarked, “I have not had

much interaction with her, but I have found

her part to be fine. The court attorneys and

the clerks were courteous and knowledge-

able. I have had nothing but professional

experiences in the part. I have nothing nega-

tive at all to say. It is a very professional part.

If I get an assignment to go there, it is always

a good experience.” A different attorney who

commented on Justice James said, “I would

say from what I have seen in my cases with

her that the decisions have come out pretty

Profiles James 449