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Sheila Abdus-Salaam
Sheila Abdus-Salaam was a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, New York's highest court. She was nominated to the court by Governor Andrew Cuomo on April 5, 2013, and was confirmed by the New York State Senate on May 6, 2013. Abdus-Salaam was the first African-American woman to serve on the state's high court.[1][2][3] Abdus-Salaam's body was found in the Hudson River near Manhattan, New York, on April 12, 2017, after she was reported as missing earlier in the day.[4] An official statement by police after her body was found said that they considered the judge's death a suicide.[5]
Education
Abdus-Salaam received her B.A. in economics from Barnard College in 1974 and her J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law in 1977.[6][7]
Career
- 2013-2017: Judge, New York Court of Appeals
- 2009-2013: Associate Justice, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department
- 1993-2009: Justice, New York Supreme Court
- 1992-1993: Judge, New York City Civil Court
- 1988-1991: General counsel, New York City Office of Labor Services
- 1980-1988: Assistant attorney general, Civil Rights and Real Estate Financing Bureaus
- 1977: Staff attorney, Brooklyn Legal Services[6][1]
Noteworthy cases
Legal definition of parent (2016)
In August 2016, the New York Court of Appeals overruled a 1991 case holding that an individual without a biological or adoptive relation to a child, such as the nonbiological parent in a same-sex couple, did not have standing to seek parental custody or visitation rights. Such a narrow definition of parent, Abdus-Salaam wrote in the opinion for Matter of Brooke S.B. v. Elizabeth A.C.C., had "become unworkable when applied to increasingly varied familial relationships."[8]
The legal landscape had also changed. Therefore, the "foundational premise of heterosexual parenting and nonrecognition of same-sex couples [was] unsustainable, particularly in light of the enactment of same-sex marriage in New York State, and the United States Supreme Court's holding in Obergefell v. Hodges, which noted that the right to marry provides benefits not only for same-sex couples, but also the children being raised by those couples," Abdus-Salaam wrote.[8]
Standing would be limited, however, to individuals who could demonstrate that they had entered into preconception agreements. Abdus-Salaam explained:
| “ | We simply conclude that, where a petitioner proves by clear and convincing evidence that he or she has agreed with the biological parent of the child to conceive and raise the child as co-parents, the petitioner has presented sufficient evidence to achieve standing to seek custody and visitation of the child. Whether a partner without such an agreement can establish standing and, if so, what factors a petitioner must establish to achieve standing based on equitable estoppel are matters left for another day, upon a different record. Additionally, we stress that this decision addresses only the ability of a person to establish standing as a parent to petition for custody or visitation; the ultimate determination of whether those rights shall be granted rests in the sound discretion of the court, which will determine the best interests of the child.[9] | ” |
| —Sheila Abdus-Salaam (August 30, 2016)[8] | ||
Recent news
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See also
External links
- New York Court of Appeals, "Sheila Abdus-Salaam"
- The New York Times, "Cuomo Picks Judge in City to Fill Spot at Top Court," April 5, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Office of the Governor, "Governor Cuomo Announces Nomination for Court of Appeals," April 5, 2013
- ↑ Thomson Reuters News & Insight, "First black female Court of Appeals nominee breezes through hearing," April 30, 2013
- ↑ Thomson Reuters News & Insight, "N.Y. Senate confirms first black woman to Court of Appeals," May 6, 2013
- ↑ The Hill, "Report: Body of country's first female Muslim judge found in Hudson River," April 12, 2017
- ↑ syracuse.com, "Police: Judge found dead in Hudson killed herself," April 13, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division: First Department, "Sheila Abdus-Salaam," accessed February 17, 2015
- ↑ The New York Daily News, "AG Eric Holder attends law school bud Sheila Abdus-Salaam's swear-in to NY high court," June 20, 2013
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 New York Unified Court System, "Matter of Brooke S.B. v. Elizabeth A.C.C.," August 30, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
