Manhattan's East Side Judicial Primary: What You Need To Know

GRAMERCY/STUYVESANT, NY — Primaries may be few and far between for judicial races in Manhattan. But come Tuesday, two longtime lawyers will go head-to-head in a civil court primary on Manhattan's east side.

Lynne Fischman Uniman, New York Law School professor and partner at Allegeart, Berger & Vogel LLP, and E. Grace Park, the assistant attorney-in-charge at the Legal Aid Society for juvenile rights practice, are running to be a judge in the municipal courts' fourth district.

The district covers Stuyvesant Town up through Gramercy, Kips Bay, Murray Hill and Midtown East.

The New York City Bar Association, LGBT Bar Association of New York, and the New York County Democratic Independent Judiciary Screening Panel all approved both Uniman and Park.

Though Uniman and Park are running in Manhattan's east side district, whoever ultimately becomes a judge could be placed anywhere in the city. Civil court judges can be assigned to work in family and criminal courts as well. Cases include what the state describes as "everyday legal problems" for less than $25,000. The position is a 10-year term.

At first, Park was running against two others in the third district's primary — which covers Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen and Midtown West, where she lives. But, by the end February, Park had switched to run against Uniman on the east side.

Park says a friend of hers was rumored to run in the east side district — but when that didn't materialize, she switched.

The west side district in Chelsea is now uncontested for Anna Lewis after another candidate, Eric Schumacher, dropped out.

The system of electing judges often dominated by district leaders and political clubs has left Manhattan with a single primary for the June 25 election. Two other civil court seats and two county-wide seats are uncontested.

Here's what you need to know about the candidates:

LYNNE FISCHMAN UNIMAN

Uniman, 64, has been a lawyer for four decades in state and federal courts. For the last 26 years, she's served as a volunteer mediator in courts from state family court to the U.S. second circuit court of appeals.

"I know how to manage cases, I know how to issues orders, I know how to write opinions," Uniman, of the Upper East Side, told Patch. As a New York Law School professor for the past three years, she says she's "learned how to make complex problems understandable to people."

Uniman was also one of the original members of TIMES UP Legal Defense Fund for gender equality, where she has volunteered to represent victims of harassment or abuse in the workplace. She has also been an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

In the courtroom, Uniman hopes to bring mediation to civil courts or allow people to call in for litigants who are homebound or for routine matters, she said.

"To my mind, judges need to do more than just issue rulings," Uniman said. "People are there for reasons that are problems to them, and a judge should be a problem solver, not a problem exacerbater."

"To tell you the truth, in a court where the upper limit is $25,000, mediation would save people time and money," she said.

She recalled a case she oversaw regarding a dispute over a family business that dragged on for two years — a case she felt was emblematic of how mediation could improve the courts system.

"That particular case brought home how litigation can really get out of control and how so many issues that are in the court need a level head to say to them, 'Ok, let's re-evaluate what it is that you really want,'" she said.

Who has endorsed her?

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Former Mayor David Dinkins, Assemblymember Dan Quart, Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, Councilmember Ben Kallos, District Leader of the 73rd AD Meryl Brodsky, Former Councilmember Sal F. Albanese.

The Lexington Democratic Club, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, 504 Democratic Club, El Nuevo Caribe Democratic Club.

GRACE PARK

Park, 51, has been a Legal Aid Society lawyer in juvenile rights practice for 15 years. She has represented children at risk of abuse and neglect and has aimed to put children's interests first, she says. She's handled more than 1,000 cases.

After working at law firms for five years to pay off student loans, she was elated to take a role at Legal Aid — calling her current job a dream job. But for Park, who moved to the U.S. with her mother from Korea at 8-years-old, being a judge would allow her to help more people.

"I went to law school to help people, and I always knew I would end up in the public sector," Park, of Midtown West, told Patch. "Just like I went to law school to try to help people, I still have that goal, and I think judges have more impact on more individuals and families. ... I would like to be a judge because you can help more people as a judge."

In the courtroom, she says she would plan to utilize court officers or even volunteers to help the court run more efficiently. She would try to allow some litigants to call in.

The civil courts are the "emergency rooms for the court system," she said. "You really need to learn to triage and spot check really quickly."

Park also volunteers at the Boys' Club of New York and mentors high school and college students.

"I feel very blessed that I came to this country as an immigrant. My mom and I were pretty poor. I entered third-grade without knowing any English," she said. For that, she "really felt like I should pay [that] back," especially for low-income children of color, she said.

Who has endorsed her?

Former Councilmember Dan Garodnick, Former State Senator Tom Duane, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, Councilmember Carlina Rivera, Councilmember Keith Powers, Assemblymember Richard Gottfried, Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Councilmember Mark Levine, Former Councilmember Rosie Mendez.

Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club, Chelsea Reform Democratic Club, Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club, Gramercy Stuyvesant Independent Democrats, United Democratic Organization.

To see a ballot sample for your district, click here.