Justices of the Court

Associate Justice Martin Shulman

Justice Martin Shulman was first appointed to the Appellate Division, First Department in 2020. He graduated cum laude from Yeshiva University in 1978 and is a 1981 graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Justice Shulman’s judicial career began upon his election to the Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County, in 1994. He was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice in 1999 and served as Supervising Judge of the Civil Court, New York County from 2000-2009. He was elected to the Supreme Court in 2005 and in 2009 he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Appellate Term, First Department. Thereafter, Justice Shulman was appointed Presiding Justice in 2018.

Justice Shulman began his legal career in 1981 as a law assistant to the Hon. Eugene L. Nardelli of the Supreme Court, Bronx County. Thereafter, from 1982 through 1987, he served as Assistant Senior, and Supervising Staff Attorney, then Deputy Chief from 1982 to 1987 at the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (formerly the New York City Conciliation and Appeals Board). From 1987 to 1994, he was a Senior Associate, then Partner, at the law firm of Shaw & Binder, Esqs.

From 2015 to 2020, Justice Shulman served as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the New York County Public Access Law Library, the core mission of which is to provide legal resources to public users and self-represented litigants in particular. Under his leadership, the library obtained grants from the New York City Council for the purchase of legal reference books and equipment for library patrons.

Justice Shulman is an active member of the Jewish Lawyers Guild, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors. He is a longstanding member of the New York County Lawyers’ Association and its Civil Court Practice Section, Committee on the Supreme Court and Judiciary Committee. He is also a member of the New York Women’s Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

Justice Shulman has received numerous honors and awards, including the Melvin C. Levine Award from the New York County Lawyers Association Civil Practice Section; the Benjamin N. Cardozo Award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild; the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Alumnus of the Year Award; the Award to all Supervising Judges of the Civil Court of the City of New York from the New York County Lawyers Association Civil Practice Section; and was Guest of Honor at The Law Secretaries & Law Assistants Collegium, First Department, 2013 Annual Collegium Spring Dinner.

Justice Shulman is a frequent lecturer for bar groups, legal conferences and law schools. He also participates as a faculty member at the annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Program at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School.