Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has appointed Indian American jurist Anil Singh on May 22 to serve in the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court. “Appointed by the New York Governor, Justice Jeffrey Oing and Justice Anil Singh join Justice Peter Tom in the First Department, which now has three Asian Pacific American sitting judges for the first time. We offer our congratulations to these decorated jurists,” stated the organization, adding: “Diversity on the bench is being strongly reflected on the First Department bench, and we are gratified to be witnessing this historic development firsthand.”
“These tremendously qualified jurists bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse experience to New York’s Appellate Court,” Governor Cuomo said. “I am proud to appoint these judges to their new roles where they will continue to uphold principles of law and fairness to move New York forward,” Cuomo in a press statement.
Singh – who was elected in 2013 to the New York State Supreme Court’s First Judicial District – is the first Indian American to be appointed to the Appellate Division. Cuomo announced Singh’s elevation to the role, along with the appointments of eight others.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York lauded the appointment of Singh, along with the appointment of Asian American jurist Jeffrey Oing, who also currently serves on the New York State Supreme Court.
“The Asian American Bar Association of New York is proud to recognize an historic first for the Appellate Division, First Department of the Supreme Court of the State of New York,” said the organization in a press statement.
Singh was born in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1958 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1976. He earned a B.A. in political science and history from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1980, and went on to obtain his J.D. from the Antioch College of Law in Washington, D.C.
Singh was first elected as a New York City Civil Court Judge in 2002. He was designated an Acting Supreme Court Justice in 2010 and was elected to the role three years later. In April 2015, Singh was appointed to the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court, where he ruled on real property cases; contract disputes and claims involving business torts; shareholder derivative actions; commercial class actions; accounting and legal malpractice claims; and insurance coverage declaratory judgment actions.