This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in New York. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are other distinctions such as the first minority men in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history

Law School

James Campbell Matthews (1870): First African American male to graduate from law school in New York (1870)

Lawyers

Sampson Simson (1800): First Jewish American male lawyer in New York Moses Simons (1816) and George Boyer Vashon (1847): First African American male lawyers in New YorkVashon was posthumously admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 2010, as he was rejected twice during his lifetime due to his racial identity.Although Simons preceded Vashon, his career was cut short due to a damaged reputation. He only practiced law for four years until his death in 1822. Eneas Yamada (1877): First Asian male (who was of Japanese descent) lawyer admitted to the New York State Bar before the examination requirement John F. Charles: First African American male lawyer admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of New York (1880) Hong Yen Chang (1888): First Asian male lawyer (who was a Chinese immigrant) in New York Huan Chuen Mei (1915): First Chinese American male admitted to practice before the federal courts of New York George E. Phillies: First Greek American male lawyer to argue a case before the New York Court of Appeals (1918) F.J. Hans: First blind male lawyer in New York Thomas H. Lee (1936): First Chinese American lawyer admitted to the New York State Bar George Yamaoka (1939): First Japanese American male lawyer in New York Antonio C. Martinez (1956): First Dominican American male lawyer in New York Harris L. Kimball: First openly LGBT male lawyer in New York (1973) E. Carrington Boggan: First openly LGBT male lawyer to argue a case before the New York Court of Appeal (1973) Khagendra Gharti-Chhetry (1987): First Nepali American male lawyer in New York Gao Xiqing (1988): First Chinese citizen (male) to pass the New York State Bar Exam Weerawong Chittmittrapap (1992): First Thai (male) lawyer admitted to the New York State Bar Association Cesar Vargas (2015): First undocumented male admitted to practice law in New York Umair Khan: First Pakistani American male lawyer to work for the New York State Senate's legal department (2020) Ely S. Parker: First Native American male posthumously admitted to the New York State Bar Association (2025)

State judges

James Campbell Matthews (1870): First African American male judge in New York (1895) John Palmieri: First Italy-born male judge in New York (1904) Gasper Liota: First Italian American judge in New York (1924) James S. Watson and Charles E. Toney: First African American males elected respectively as judges in New York (1930) Emilio Nunez (1929): First Hispanic American male judge in New York (1951) Robert J. Mangum (1949): First African American male appointed as a Judge of the New York State Court of Claims (1967) Gilbert Ramirez: First (Puerto Rican) blind male judge in New York (1968) Randall T. Eng (1973): First Asian American male (Chinese American) judge in New York (1983) William Thom: First openly LGBT male judge in New York (1984) Danny K. Chun (1987): First Korean American male judge in New York Ned B. Bertulfo: First Filipino American male to serve as a state administrative law judge in New York Mark A. Montour (1983): First Native American male state judge in New York (2013)Upon Montour being elected to the New York State Supreme Court Joseph Zayas: First Latino American male to serve as the chief administrative judge in New York (2023) Seth Marnin: First openly LGBT male judge in New York (2023) Vikram Vilkhu: First Indian American criminal judge in New York (2024)

Supreme Court

Albert Cardozo: First Jewish American male to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York (1867) Salvatore A. Cotillo (1912): First Italian American male appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York (1924) Gilberto "Gilbert" Ramirez (c. 1957): First blind and Puerto Rican male appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York (1975); Gilbert Ramirez Park in Brooklyn is named in his honor. Marquette Floyd: First African American male appointed as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court Oliver D. Williams: First African American male appointed as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court from the Second Judicial Conference (1963) Samuel L. Green: First African American male (outside of New York City) elected to the New York State Supreme Court, Eighth Judicial District (1978) Richard Failla: First openly LGBT male to be elected as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court (1989)

Supreme Court, Appellate Division

John Carro (1956): First Puerto Rican male appointed as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division (1979) William “Willie” Thompson: First African American male to serve on the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department Samuel L. Green: First African American male to serve on the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department (1983) Peter Tom (1975): First Asian American male appointed to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division (1994) Luis A. Gonzalez: First Puerto Rican male to serve as the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department in New York (2009) Anil Singh: First South Asian American male to serve as a Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department in New York (2017)

Court of Appeals

Charles A. Rapallo: First Italian American male to serve on the New York Court of Appeals (1870) Benjamin N. Cardozo (1891): First Jewish male to serve on the New York Court of Appeals (1914) Matthew J. Jasen: First Polish American male to serve on the New York Court of Appeals (1967) Harold A. Stevens (1938): First African American male appointed as a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (1974) Fritz W. Alexander, II (1951): First African American male to serve as an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (1985) Paul Feinman (1985): First openly LGBT male appointed as a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (2017) Rowan D. Wilson: First African American male to serve as the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (2023)

Federal judges Matthew T. Abruzzo: First Italian American male to serve as a federal judge in New York (upon his appointment to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 1936) Henry Bramwell: First African American male appointed as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (1974) Richard C. Casey (1958): First blind male appointed as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (1997) Randolph Treece: First African American male to serve as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York (2001) Raymond Lohier (1991): First Haitian American male to be appointed as a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York (2010) Arun Subramanian: First Indian American male to serve as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (2023) Sanket J. Bulsara: First South Asian male to serve as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (2024)

Attorney General

Simon W. Rosendale: First Jewish American male elected as the Attorney General of New York (1891) Anthony J. DiGiovanna: First Italian American male to launch a campaign to become the Attorney General of New York

Special Deputy Attorney General

Cornelius W. McDougal: First African American to serve as the Special Deputy Attorney General of New York (1926)

United States Attorney

Benito Romano: First Puerto Rican male to serve as the Interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1989) Preet Bharara: First Asian American male (Indian) to serve as a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (2009) Richard S. Hartunian: First Armenian American male to serve as a U.S. Attorney in New York (upon becoming the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York in 2010) Damian Williams: First African American male to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (2021)

Assistant United States Attorney

Thomas H. Lee: First Asian American male to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in New York (1951)

District Attorneys

Robert T. Johnson: First African American male elected to serve as District Attorney in New York (1989) Eric Gonzalez: First Latino American male elected to serve as District Attorney in New York (2017)

Assistant District Attorney

James Dickson Carr: First African American male to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in New York (1899) Edwin Torres: First Puerto Rican male to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in New York (1958) Randall T. Eng (1973): First Asian American male (Chinese American) to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in New York

Political Office

Richard Harewood: First African American male (a lawyer) elected to a statewide office in New York (upon his election multiple times to the House of Representatives) Gilberto "Gilbert" Ramirez (c. 1957): First blind and Puerto Rican male (a lawyer) elected to the New York State Assembly (1965) Herman Badillo: First Puerto Rican male (a lawyer) elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1971) Sean Patrick Maloney (1992): First openly LGBT male (a lawyer) elected to Congress from New York (2013)

Bar Associations

Simon W. Rosendale: First Jewish male to serve as the President of the New York State Bar Association Archibald R. Murray: First African American male to serve as President of the New York State Bar Association Glenn Lau-Kee: First Asian American male to serve as the President of the New York State Bar Association (2014) Stephen Lessard: First openly LGBT male to serve as the president of a major bar association in New York [upon becoming the President of the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) in 2019]

Faculty

W. Haywood Burns: First African American male to serve as the dean of a New York law school (upon becoming the Dean of City University of New York Law School in 1987)

Firsts in local history Alphabetized by county name

Regions

Antonio Delgado (c. 2005): First African American / Hispanic male (a lawyer) to be elected to Congress from Upstate New York (2019) Raul Figueroa: First Hispanic American (male) elected as a judge outside of New York City (1984) Richard Rivera: First Latino American male judge to serve in the Third Judicial District in New York State (2015) Kris Singh: First South Asian American male elected as a judge in Upstate New York (2022; Montgomery County's Surrogate Court)

New York City (in general)

James D. Carr: First African American male to serve as the Assistant District Attorney in New York City (1898) Myles Paige (1925): First African American male to serve as a Judge of the New York City Magistrate’s Court (1936) Thomas H. Lee: First Asian American male licensed to practice law in New York City (1936) Emilio Nunez (1927): First Latino American male judge in New York City (1952–1956) Walter H. Gladwin (1941): First African American to become a New York City Criminal Court Judge and an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx Francis E. Rivers: First African American male judge on the City Court of New York (1943) Randall T. Eng (1973): First Asian American male (Chinese American) appointed as a Judge of the New York City Criminal Court (1983) and Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department (2012) Richard Failla: First openly LGBT male to become a Judge of the New York City Criminal Court (1985)