Biography of Justice Saliann Scarpulla

Justice Saliann Scarpulla is a graduate of Boston University and Brooklyn Law School, cum laude.

After law school, Justice Scarpulla became Principal Court Attorney to the Hon. Alvin F. Klein. Justice Scarpulla then worked at Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn as a litigation associate from 1988 to 1993. At Proskauer, she gained extensive experience in commercial litigation, accountants’ liability, securities regulations, real estate, contracts and commercial torts.

In 1993, Justice Scarpulla joined the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as Senior Counsel in the New York Legal Services Office. While there, she represented the FDIC as receiver for numerous failed banks and litigated cases on banking and commercial issues, including ERISA and FIRREA. Justice Scarpulla then became Senior Vice Present and Bank Counsel to Hudson United Bank, where she was responsible for all litigation involving the bank, and also oversaw the banks’ compliance with state and federal banking regulations.

Justice Scarpulla returned to the New York State court system in 1999, as Principal Court Attorney to the Hon. Eileen Bransten. She was elected to the Civil Court in 2001. While in Civil Court Justice Scarpulla presided over civil, commercial landlord-tenant, no-fault, pro se and small claims actions.

In 2009, Justice Scarpulla was appointed an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, and initially presided over a City Part, handling civil litigation involving the City of New York as a party. Justice Scarpulla was then assigned to an IAS Part, in which she handled a wide variety of civil cases.

Justice Scarpulla was elected to the Supreme Court in 2012, and was assigned to an IAS part with an emphasis on complex asbestos litigation. In addition to her asbestos caseload, Justice Scarpulla handled construction injury/property damage cases, insurance coverage cases and general commercial litigation. Justice Scarpulla also presided over actions commenced pursuant to Mental Hygiene Law Article 9. Justice Scarpulla was assigned to the Commercial Division in February 2014.

Justice Scarpulla is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Catholic Lawyers Guild, Columbian Lawyers Association, Jewish Lawyers Guild, Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert, the National Association of Italian American Women, the National Association of Women Judges, the New York County Lawyer Association, the New York State Bar Association and the New York Women’s Bar Association. Justice Scarpulla is also a frequent lecturer at the Judicial Institute.