Governor Hochul designates Justice Erin S. Skinner to the Appellate Division Fourth Department

Albany, New York – Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the designation of Justice Erin S. Skinner as an Additional Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Fourth Department, bringing an experienced New York jurist with a background in trial work, appellate courts and public defense into the role.

Skinner was elected to the New York State Supreme Court for the Seventh Judicial District in November 2024. She currently handles civil litigation cases, including matters involving Labor Law, personal injury, matrimonial disputes and foreclosures. Her new assignment adds another step to a legal career that has included work at several levels of New York’s court system.

“New Yorkers deserve a judiciary defined by integrity and excellence,” Governor Hochul said. “Justice Skinner’s extensive legal experience and unwavering commitment to justice make her exceptionally well-qualified for this role, and I am confident she will serve New Yorkers with fairness and impartiality.”

Skinner’s experience with the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, goes back several years. Before being elected to the Supreme Court, she served as Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Joanne Winslow, who is retired, and the Honorable Mark Montour at the Fourth Department. In that position, she worked on a wide variety of civil and criminal appeals.

That earlier experience gives Skinner familiarity with the work of the court she is now joining. Her responsibilities included working on appellate proceedings, giving her an understanding of the legal issues and procedures involved when cases move beyond trial courts.

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Her career has also included time at New York’s highest court. From 2019 to 2021, Skinner served as a Court Clerk at the New York State Court of Appeals. The position gave her additional experience with appellate litigation and the state’s judicial system.

Before working in New York’s appellate courts, Skinner served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office. There, she represented people in criminal cases and regularly appeared before Monroe County trial courts.

That work provided a different perspective on the justice system. As a public defender, Skinner represented individuals facing criminal proceedings and saw firsthand how court decisions can affect the people involved. Her experience advocating for defendants has remained part of her approach to judicial work, particularly the importance of treating litigants fairly and respectfully.

Skinner has also been involved in legal education. During her career, she has been invited to speak to bar associations and professional organizations about appellate advocacy and practice before New York’s appellate courts. She has also addressed issues involving mental health, wellness and resilience in the legal profession.

Her teaching experience extends beyond professional legal programs. Skinner taught Intro to Law and Legal Studies and Constitutional Law I to undergraduate students at SUNY Brockport, giving her an additional connection to legal education and the next generation of students interested in the field.

She began her higher education at SUNY Cortland, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. She later received her J.D. magna cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law.

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Presiding Justice Gerald Whalen welcomed Skinner’s designation, pointing to her previous work with the Fourth Department as an important advantage as she takes on her new responsibilities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Justice Erin Skinner to the Appellate Division, Fourth the Department, as an Associate Justice. Justice Skinner is no stranger to our Court. Before she was elected to the Supreme Court in the Seventh Judicial District, Justice Skinner served as confidential law clerk to two Fourth Department justices and as a court attorney on our Court’s legal research staff. Justice Skinner’s history and experience with our Court will be a significant asset as she steps into her new role as Associate Justice.”

The designation places Skinner in a position where her previous appellate experience can directly contribute to the work of the Fourth Department. Her background includes civil and criminal appeals, trial-level criminal defense, civil litigation and legal research.

For Hochul, the appointment is part of the state’s effort to have judges with broad legal experience serving in important judicial positions. For Skinner, the new role brings her back to a court where she previously worked behind the scenes, now as a member of the bench.

Her combination of courtroom experience, appellate work, public defense and legal teaching has shaped a career across several parts of New York’s judicial system. The designation now moves that experience into a new stage as she joins the Appellate Division, Fourth Department.