Adam Silvera Moves Up to Dep. Chief Admin Judge Next Week

One of our town’s premiere members of the New York judiciary, Hon. Adam Silvera, will become Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the New York City Courts. The appointment, announced by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas will take effect on September 9th. Silvera has served on the bench since 2014.

A rising star from his days as a scholarship kid at Ramaz, Silvera became active locally in DID (Downtown Independent Democrats) and in 1994, at 21, became the youngest District Leader. Up until that time, now candidate for Mayor Scott Stringer, at 23, was the youngest District Leader. Stringer’s club was CFD (Community Free Democrats). Silvera was born and raised on the LES as was his mother. His dad is a Tunisian Jew.

In announcing the appointment, Judge Zayas said, “Judge Silvera is an accomplished judge and administrator who, always ready to roll up is sleeves, brings tremendous energy, creativity, and integrity to this enormously critical, wide-reaching administrative post. I have enjoyed our ongoing collaboration throughout the years and look forward to working with him in his new role--and to the many accomplishments to come under his innovative leadership,” said First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George.

Judge Silvera has been serving as Administrative Judge for the State Supreme Court-Civil Term in New York County since December 2021. When he was elected to Civil Court, he served as a Family Court judge in Brooklyn, handling cases involving custody, visitation, paternity, guardianship, special immigrant juvenile status, adoption, and family offenses. Subsequently assigned to New York City Civil Court in Brooklyn, he presided over a dedicated consumer credit and self-represented part. And later served in Manhattan Civil Court, handling consumer credit and other matters. In 2017, Judge Silvera was designated an acting Supreme Court Justice and assigned to New York City Family Court’s Integrated Domestic Relations Part in Manhattan. In 2018 he was elected to New York State Supreme Court in New York County and in 2021 was elevated to the Appellate Term, First Department. Prior to taking the bench, he was a senior associate at Paul B. Weitz & Associates, a firm specializing in personal injury, negligence, medical malpractice, labor law, and civil rights matters.

Judge Silvera’s predecessor, Judge Deborah Kaplan, said she was “anxious to be back in the courtroom daily, striving to provide relief to those who come to our courts seeking resolution of weighty matters” and “excited to continue my roles as co-chair of the Justice Task Force and chair of the New York State Committee on Elder Justice.”

Scott Stringer said it best and succinctly summed up the significance of Silvera’s appointment, “He has been a remarkable judge and his elevation is well-deserved. His work will continue to benefit all New Yorkers.” My summary: Everybody loves Adam.

NYers by the book - My reading these many days, in addition to online and whatever print newspapers and magazines I can get my hands on, are books written about New York or by New Yorkers. If you want the inside goings on in the courtroom from a pastel point of view, buy Jane Rosenberg’s Drawn Testimony. The native New York courtroom artist impeccably captures the visual story and the human foibles. Another New Yorker, Delia Ephron, writes Turn Left on Tenth - A Second Chance at Life: A Memoir, a poignant, yet uplifting tale of life, love, and the ups and downs that go with them. When I read it, I thought, there’s play in all this. And so it is. Opening in September, it’s starring Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher. Turns out that New Yorker Julianna Margulies has written - and I’ve read - her book, Sunrise Girl...an unexpected life. It’s a good read. Not so much Richard Behar’s Madoff. Well-written and engrossing, but halfway through I’d read enough about Bernie, numbers and horror of it all.