Leland DeGrasse
Encyclopedia
Leland George DeGrasse is an Associate Justice of the New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department
.
. His father was a postal clerk, his mother became a computer programmer. As a child, he studied in Catholic school. In 1967, he graduated from St. John's University with a degree in Spanish
. He is a 1972 graduate of Howard University School of Law
.
from 1985 to 1988. He was a New York Supreme Court Justice, 1st Judicial District
, from 1988 to 2008. He was designated a Justice for the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department in 2008 by Governor David Paterson
.
He is best known for being the trial judge in the case of Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State, which was brought to compel an overhaul of state aid-to-education formulas. His decision was appealed all the way up to the New York Court of Appeals. Ultimately, the Court of Appeals ordered an additional $1.9 billion in state aid annually for New York City's schools.
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department is headquartered in Manhattan.-Jurisdiction:The Appellate Division holds jurisdiction over the Counties of New York and the Bronx...
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Early life and education
DeGrasse was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His father was a postal clerk, his mother became a computer programmer. As a child, he studied in Catholic school. In 1967, he graduated from St. John's University with a degree in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. He is a 1972 graduate of Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Howard University. Located in Washington, D.C., it is one the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black college or university law school in the United States...
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Legal career
He was an Assistant District Attorney with the Bronx County District Attorney between 1972 and 1975. He subsequently served on the New York City Civil CourtNew York City Civil Court
The New York City Civil Court is a court hearing civil cases within New York City. By volume, it is the largest civil jurisdiction court in the United States, and handles about 25% of the total filings of the entire New York state court system.-Jurisdiction:...
from 1985 to 1988. He was a New York Supreme Court Justice, 1st Judicial District
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
, from 1988 to 2008. He was designated a Justice for the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department in 2008 by Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
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He is best known for being the trial judge in the case of Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State, which was brought to compel an overhaul of state aid-to-education formulas. His decision was appealed all the way up to the New York Court of Appeals. Ultimately, the Court of Appeals ordered an additional $1.9 billion in state aid annually for New York City's schools.