Ralph has had the privilege of serving New Yorkers throughout his entire legal career.  He first joined the Unified Court System as a Legal Fellow in 2006 and has worked with judges in every borough and in all types of courts, from Supreme Court to Small Claims Arbitration, from Criminal to Housing courts.  While most of his experience has been in Family Court, he has had the unique privilege of working with many different judges and have learned the intricacies of our court system and how to adjudicate cases efficiently and effectively.   

For the last six years, he has worked to increase access to justice by supporting problem-solving courts across the state.  As Assistant Deputy Counsel in the Office for Justice Initiatives, Division of Policy and Planning, he supports family and juvenile treatment courts where he helps develop innovative solutions to support families in crisis.  He also works as the Director of the New York State Attorney Emeritus Program which provides critical pro bono legal services to individuals who would be forced to appear pro se (or forego important rights altogether) without such legal representation.  

For the past fifteen years, he has devoted significant energy to supporting another important initiative—one that recognizes that lawyers suffer (and heal) from mental illness and substance use disorder.  He participates in city and state Lawyers Assistance Committees and acts as a monitor appointed by the NYC Bar Association Lawyer Assistance Program for individual lawyers faced with disciplinary action due to their mental health issues and/or substance use disorders.   

He and his wife have been involved in community organizations and service in our community on the Upper West Side, which became their home in 2011 and where they are raising their three children who are six, nine, and eleven. 

His passion for increasing access to justice, his experience in many aspects of our courts, and his efforts to create innovative ways for courts to support our community have prepared him well for the role of Civil Court Judge.