Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York made history this past June when he announced the appointment of Judge Paul G. Feinman to the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. Judge Feinman is the first openly gay judge to be appointed to that position and he is more than deserving the title.
Judge Feinman grew up on Long Island before attending Columbia University, where he graduated with a degree in French literature in 1981. At the University of Minnesota Law School, he co-founded an association of gay students before graduating in 1985.
Upon graduation from law school, Judge Feinman worked as a public defender for the Legal Aid Society in New York before clerking for Justice Angela Mazzarelli. In 1996, he became a Civil Court judge and in 2007 was elected as a justice to the Supreme Court of New York. Judge Feinman was appointed to the Appellate Division, First Department by Governor Cuomo in 2012. On June 21, 2017, in the midst of Pride Month, Judge Feinman was unanimously confirmed to the Court of Appeals just five days after the governor’s nomination.
Judge Feinman has also held leadership roles in a number of associations, including as President of the LGBT Bar of Greater New York, the Association of Supreme Court Justices of the State of New York, Inc., and the International Association of LGBT Judges. In addition, we are proud here at the National LGBT Bar to count him among our longtime members.
The National LGBT Bar Association is delighted to announce that Judge Feinman will be speaking at our 30th Annual Lavender Law® Conference & Career Fair in New York City this coming August. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a history-making member of the judiciary.