U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Second Circuit, which reviews its decisions on appeal. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former, with who appointed them and whom they succeeded.
| Judge | Appointed by | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas James McAvoy | Reagan (R) | 1986 |
| Frederick James Scullin Jr. | Bush (R) | 1992 |
| Lawrence E. Kahn | Clinton (D) | 1996 |
| David N. Hurd | Clinton (D) | 1999 |
| Glenn T. Suddaby | Bush (R) | 2008 |
| Mae Avila D'Agostino | Obama (D) | 2011 |
| Brenda Kay Sannes | Obama (D) | 2014 |
| Anne Marie Nardacci | Biden (D) | 2022 |
| Anthony Joseph Brindisi | Biden (D) | 2024 |
| Elizabeth Cheryl Coombe | Biden (D) | 2024 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Gary L. Sharpe | Bush (R) | 2004–2024 |
| Norman A. Mordue | Clinton (D) | 1998–2022 |
| Rosemary S. Pooler | Clinton (D) | 1994–1998 |
| Con. G. Cholakis | Reagan (R) | 1986–1996 |
| Roger Jeffrey Miner | Reagan (R) | 1981–1985 |
| Neal Peters McCurn | Carter (D) | 1979–2014 |
| Howard G. Munson | Ford (R) | 1976–2008 |
| Edmund Port | Johnson (D) | 1964–1986 |
| James Thomas Foley | Truman (D) | 1949–1990 |
| Edward S. Kampf | Truman (D) | 1946–1948 |
| Stephen W. Brennan | Roosevelt (D) | 1942–1968 |
| Frederick Howard Bryant | Coolidge (R) | 1927–1945 |
| Frank Cooper | Wilson (D) | 1920–1946 |
| George Washington Ray | Roosevelt (R) | 1902–1925 |
| Alfred Conkling Coxe Sr. | Arthur (R) | 1882–1902 |
| William James Wallace | Grant (R) | 1874–1882 |
| Nathan Kelsey Hall | Fillmore (N) | 1852–1874 |
| Alfred Conkling | Adams (N) | 1825–1852 |
| Roger Skinner | Monroe (N) | 1820–1825 |
| Matthias Burnett Tallmadge | (reassignment) (N) | 1814–1819 |
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1814.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.