Hon. Gail Prudenti

Judge Prudenti served as the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of New York State, having been appointed by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman on December 1, 2011. As Chief Administrative Judge, she supervised the administration and operation of the statewide court system, with a budget of over $2.7 billion, 3,600 state and locally paid judges and 15,000 non-judicial employees in over 350 court facilities.

Prior to her appointment as Chief Administrative Judge, she served as the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department in New York State, the first woman to hold that position, having been appointed thereto, in February 2002, by then-Gov. George E. Pataki. Before that, she was the first woman from Suffolk County to serve as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department.

From May 2017 to June 2023, Judge Prudenti served as the tenth dean of Hofstra Law. As Dean, Judge Prudenti spearheaded the Law School’s 50th anniversary celebration and Vision 2020 capital campaign, which raised $22 million, far surpassing the initial goal and the stretch goal of $17.5 million.

During her deanship, Judge Prudenti successfully improved the quality and credentials of the student body, strengthened the Law School’s financial standing, launched cutting-edge legal tech and interdisciplinary programs, and helped create the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council at the Law School.

In her various leadership roles, Judge Prudenti has developed innovative programs and instituted many initiatives to enhance the administration of justice and promote the public’s trust and confidence in the courts. In April 2020, Judge Prudenti was appointed to a newly established COVID-19 Recovery Task Force to oversee the pro bono network of lawyers who would assist New Yorkers suffering from the pandemic. The Task Force is a joint effort of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and the state court system.

Judge Prudenti earned her law degree from the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland, which also awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2004 and an honorary appointment as Professor in the School of Law. She was also awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2016 from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law. She graduated from Marymount College of Fordham University with honors.

She is also a Founding Member of Mediation Solutions of NY, a women-owned business with three female founding members. The firm provides in-person and virtual mediation and arbitration services for attorneys and their clients across Long Island and New York City with offices in Islandia, East Hampton, Southampton, Westhampton Beach, and Manhattan.

She lives with her husband and fellow lawyer and former Suffolk County Attorney, Robert J. Cimino, in Great River, Long Island, New York.

• University of Aberdeen
• Marymount College of Fordham University
• Maurice A. Deane School of Law