The Brooklyn Democratic Party last Tuesday voted for lawyer Edward “Ed” King as the “backfill pick” for the Brooklyn Civil Court seat left vacant by Judge Craig S. Walker.
Judge Walker was nominated this month for Justice of New York State Supreme Court in an historic Party Nomination Convention.
“Edward King is a groundbreaking and well-deserved addition to Brooklyn’s judicial system,” Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told Caribbean Life.
“As a Black military veteran who has devoted his life to fighting injustice and delivering judicial equity as an attorney, I am confident that King will be an excellent replacement for now-NYS Supreme Court nominee Craig S. Walker,” added Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn.
She noted that August has been an historic month for the party and for all Brooklynites.
“We nominated seven Black judges and nine women judges; of varying descents that better reflect the gorgeous mosaic of diversity of our borough,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “This judicial slate is extremely qualified and dedicated to impartiality, and I’m honored to see them nominated under my leadership.”
King told Caribbean Life that his “victory represents diversity and inclusion in the Judiciary of Kings County and New York City.
“There is a dearth of African American Males in the State of New York Judiciary,” he said. “Diversity and inclusion to me translate into fairness and respect for members of our community, no matter what race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
“I am honored and humbled to receive the nomination for Civil Court Judge by the Kings County Executive Committee,” King added. “I look forward to serving as a judge in the people’s court and upholding the rule of law with fairness and compassion.
“During my legal career, I have witnessed examples of how this premise has been abrogated, resulting in decisions that are unfair and unjust,” he continued. “As a judge, I want to ensure that the citizens in our society receive a just and fair result when resolving a dispute.”
The only son of five children, Edward Harold King was raised by a single parent in Harlem.
Growing up, King said he personally witnessed inequities in housing, education, and the administration of basic services in his community.
As a result of his life experiences, he said he developed a resolve, not only to improve his personal circumstance but also to pursue social justice for others.
King, a solo legal practitioner, has specialized in general civil law practice for 35 years.
After serving in the US Army from 1972-1975, he attended City College of the City University of New York (CUNY), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Urban Legal Studies.
King earned his Juris Doctorate (law degree) from Antioch Law School in 1983. He is admitted to the New York State Bar, and to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York.
In 1983, he began his legal career in the New York State Court System, where he served as a law assistant to the Hon. Milton F. Tingling (deceased), Civil Court, New York County, and as a principal court attorney to the Hon. Randolph Jackson, Supreme Court, Kings County.
After leaving the court system in 1988, King said he began representing clients in private law practice, where he has been a tenacious advocate and problem solver on behalf of his clients.
A skilled litigator, he also provides legal counsel on transactional matters focusing on real property, landlord/tenant, bankruptcy, and trusts and estates.
In recent years, with the advent of predatory lending, King said he has litigated cases on behalf of clients faced with the prospect of losing their homes.
As appellate counsel, King said he has argued numerous appeals in the Appellate Division.
As corporate counsel, he said he has advised Housing Development Fund Corporation tenant shareholders of the legal, financial and ethical obligations of cooperative ownership and management.
In addition to private practice, King said he has served as an Administrative Law Judge for the Parking Violations Bureau, where he adjudicated administrative and statutory violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.
As Legal Counsel to the New York State Assembly, he provided counsel on legislative policy and constituent issues. King has been appointed in Supreme Court to serve as a fiduciary in numerous real property and contested litigation matters.
King said he has generously given his time to community service and progressive causes, including “Know Your Rights” forums sponsored by civic groups and churches to educate communities throughout the city about various legal issues.
From 2017-2019, he served as a pro bono attorney in the New York County Lawyers Association’s Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities Project, which assists formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society.
King is a founding member and Deacon of Brooklyn Community Church and is a member of the church’s Legal Committee, which sponsors an annual Law Day program.
In 2017, King received the “Man of the Year” award in recognition of his pro bono work at Brooklyn Community Church.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, King said he has helped community residents navigate the “uncharted legal territory” of eviction moratoriums, emergency orders and government sponsored rent and mortgage programs.
King is a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, National Bar Association, Metropolitan Black Bar Association and New York State Trial Lawyers Academy.
He is a sports enthusiast and is a basketball referee for numerous leagues, including the NYC Public School Athletic League.
King said he has been an active member of the Sports United Boro-Wide Officials Association for 35 years, serving as the organization’s legal counsel for over a decade.
King lives in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn with his wife, Kathy, a Supreme Court justice in Manhattan, whose parents hail from Montserrat. The couple has three adult children.
“Having a partner who loved to travel and who also happened to have Caribbean roots (my wife’s family is from Montserrat) compelled me to travel and I was introduced to the Caribbean,” King said.
“I made the trip to Montserrat to meet my wife’s family and was totally in awe of the natural beauty of the island and warm embrace of the people on the island,” he added. “Since that initial trip, I have visited Montserrat on multiple occasions and have been traveling throughout the Caribbean.
“Thirty-five years of practicing law has fully prepared me to be a judge,” King continued.
