Justice Douglas McKeon, left, and Justice Matthew Cooper

Justice Douglas McKeon will take over as presiding justice of the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court, First Department, on Jan. 1, Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks announced Tuesday.

“It's kind of like going home again,”  said McKeon who previously served as presiding justice of the Appellate Term. “It's a small appellate court and it gives you the kind of unique experience you might get sitting on a US Supreme Court or the New York State Court of Appeals.”

McKeon said in an interview that he enjoys collaborating “with a small group of people who work in  a very intimate way with each other. It's something that so few lawyers and judges get a chance to experience.

“It also allows you to keep your finger in trial-level work. You really do get to enjoy the best of both worlds as a judge,” said McKeon, who most recently served as Bronx County's administrative judge for civil matters.

Marks also named Justice Matthew Cooper as an associate Justice on the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court, which hears appeals originating in New York City civil and criminal courts. The appointments were made in consultation with Rolando T. Acosta, presiding justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, Marks said.

McKeon will replace Justice Richard B. Lowe III, who was appointed to the Appellate Term in 2011 and is retiring following a 30-plus-year judicial career.  Justice Cooper will be filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Martin Schoenfeld, who joined the Appellate Term in 2002 and has served on the New York State bench since 1985.

Cooper has presided over a Matrimonial Part in state Supreme Court, New York County. His judicial career began in New York City Civil Court in 2001. He was designated an acting Supreme Court Justice in 2008 and elected to the state Supreme Court in 2011. Before becoming a judge, he served as director and chief counsel of the Teamsters Local 237 Legal Services Plan. He attended Hobart College and Antioch School of Law.

“Justices McKeon and Cooper are widely-respected judges whose experience, scholarship, integrity and commitment to the fair administration of justice will greatly benefit this prestigious court and those it serves,” Marks said in a press release.

McKeon joined the court system in 1988 upon his election to New York City Civil Court. He was elected to the state Supreme Court in 1990, then re-elected in 2004. From 2006 to 2010, he was presiding justice of the Appellate Term, First Department. A Bronx native, he is a graduate of Lehman College and New York Law School. He began his career as a trial and appellate lawyer.

McKeon will continue in his role as coordinating judge of the New York State Medical Malpractice Program. The court, which McKeon helped establish, works on the principle that  “malpractice cases provide a unique opportunity to make health care safer.”

The court also tries to reach settlements “sooner rather than later.” McKeon said. Previously ”cases weren't discussed until jury selection,” he said.

Asked whether he intends to make changes when he takes on the new role, McKeon said that depends on what he finds when he returns to the position. “When we came in back in 2006 there was a significant backlog that we got a hold of and created some protocols that are still being followed so that backlogs don't occur,” he said.

Will Justice McKeon, 69, seek to be certificated so he can continue past age 70?

“God and good health have a lot to say about that,” he said. “What's that expression. 'People plan and God laughs.'”

 

Justice Douglas McKeon, left, and Justice Matthew Cooper

Justice Douglas McKeon will take over as presiding justice of the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court, First Department, on Jan. 1, Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks announced Tuesday.

“It's kind of like going home again,”  said McKeon who previously served as presiding justice of the Appellate Term. “It's a small appellate court and it gives you the kind of unique experience you might get sitting on a US Supreme Court or the New York State Court of Appeals.”

McKeon said in an interview that he enjoys collaborating “with a small group of people who work in  a very intimate way with each other. It's something that so few lawyers and judges get a chance to experience.

“It also allows you to keep your finger in trial-level work. You really do get to enjoy the best of both worlds as a judge,” said McKeon, who most recently served as Bronx County's administrative judge for civil matters.

Marks also named Justice Matthew Cooper as an associate Justice on the Appellate Term of the Supreme Court, which hears appeals originating in New York City civil and criminal courts. The appointments were made in consultation with Rolando T. Acosta, presiding justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, Marks said.

McKeon will replace Justice Richard B. Lowe III, who was appointed to the Appellate Term in 2011 and is retiring following a 30-plus-year judicial career.  Justice Cooper will be filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Martin Schoenfeld, who joined the Appellate Term in 2002 and has served on the New York State bench since 1985.

Cooper has presided over a Matrimonial Part in state Supreme Court, New York County. His judicial career began in New York City Civil Court in 2001. He was designated an acting Supreme Court Justice in 2008 and elected to the state Supreme Court in 2011. Before becoming a judge, he served as director and chief counsel of the Teamsters Local 237 Legal Services Plan. He attended Hobart College and Antioch School of Law.

“Justices McKeon and Cooper are widely-respected judges whose experience, scholarship, integrity and commitment to the fair administration of justice will greatly benefit this prestigious court and those it serves,” Marks said in a press release.

McKeon joined the court system in 1988 upon his election to New York City Civil Court. He was elected to the state Supreme Court in 1990, then re-elected in 2004. From 2006 to 2010, he was presiding justice of the Appellate Term, First Department. A Bronx native, he is a graduate of Lehman College and New York Law School. He began his career as a trial and appellate lawyer.

McKeon will continue in his role as coordinating judge of the New York State Medical Malpractice Program. The court, which McKeon helped establish, works on the principle that  “malpractice cases provide a unique opportunity to make health care safer.”

The court also tries to reach settlements “sooner rather than later.” McKeon said. Previously ”cases weren't discussed until jury selection,” he said.

Asked whether he intends to make changes when he takes on the new role, McKeon said that depends on what he finds when he returns to the position. “When we came in back in 2006 there was a significant backlog that we got a hold of and created some protocols that are still being followed so that backlogs don't occur,” he said.

Will Justice McKeon, 69, seek to be certificated so he can continue past age 70?

“God and good health have a lot to say about that,” he said. “What's that expression. 'People plan and God laughs.'”