Mayor de Blasio Appoints 3 Judges to Family and Civil Court and Reappoints 2 Judges to Family Court

June 21, 2021

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced one appointment to Family Court, two appointments to Civil Court, and two reappointments to Family Court.

“For their entire careers, these judges have championed dignity and fairness,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I thank these public servants for their tireless dedication to building a more equitable city for all New Yorkers.”

Family and Civil Court are part of the New York State Unified Court System. Family Court judges hear cases related to adoption, foster care and guardianship, custody and visitation, domestic violence, abused or neglected children, and juvenile delinquency. The two judges newly appointed to Civil Court will be presiding in Family Court.

The Mayor appointed the following judge to Family Court:

Judge Tamra Walker began her legal career at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. She served there for 11 years in Bronx and Queens Counties including as an Assistant Supervising Attorney. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she served with the New York State Unified Court System for nearly five years as a Court Attorney Referee in Family Court in both Bronx and Queens Counties. Judge Walker is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and received her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. 

The Mayor appointed the following judges to Civil Court:

Judge M. Liberty Aldrich began her legal career at Mobilization for Youth (MFY) Legal Services, now known as Mobilization for Justice (MFJ) Legal Services, where she served for two years as a Staff Attorney. During this time, she, along with two other law school graduates, established a non-profit in 1996, called Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT), as a free information service for family court litigants. She went on to join Safe Horizon as the Senior Director of the Domestic Violence Law Project. She then joined the Center for Court Innovation where she has been for nearly 20 years serving in multiple capacities including General Counsel, Director to Gender-based Violence and Family Court Programs, as well as, Managing Director. She is a graduate of Harvard University and received her law degree from New York University School of Law. Judge Aldrich is appointed to Civil Court and will be assigned to Family Court.

Judge Cynthia Lopez has served with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services for nearly 20 years. She held various positions including but not limited to Assistant Supervising Attorney of the Queens Family Court Legal Services and Supervising Attorney of the Manhattan and Staten Island Family Court Legal Services.  Since June 2018, she served as Borough Chief of the Brooklyn Family Court Legal Services.  She received her undergraduate and law degree from St. John’s University. Judge Lopez is appointed to Civil Court and will be assigned to Family Court. 

The Mayor reappointed the following judges to Family Court:

Judge Alan Beckoff was appointed to the Family Court in 2008. He was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge and served in the Family Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge Beckoff served with the New York City Department of Finance and Human Resources Administration, Office of Legal Affairs (now the Division of Legal Services of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services). He also worked for the New York City Law Department for over two decades, serving as Deputy Borough Chief in the Family Court Division and as Senior Counsel in the Appeals Division. He is a graduate of Lafayette College and received his J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Judge Anne-Marie Jolly was appointed as a Family Court Judge in September 2010. Prior to her appointment, Judge Jolly worked for the Office of Court Administration for over ten years in various capacities including Counsel and Chief of Staff to the Administrative Judge of New York City Family Courts, Deputy Chief Court Attorney, and Court Attorney Referee in Family Court. Prior to that, she was with the Legal Aid Society's Juvenile Rights Division for eight years including as Deputy Attorney-in-Charge. Judge Jolly currently serves as the Deputy Administrative Judge of Family Court city-wide. She is a graduate of Boston University and received her law degree from Albany Law School.