Hon. Paula L. Feroleto '82
Hon. Paula L. Feroleto ’82 served as the district administrative judge for the 8th Judicial District of New York since 2009. Elected to the Supreme Court bench in 2005, she was previously in private practice for 20 years.
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Interview Date(s)
February 28, 2013
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About the Hon. Paula L. Feroleto
As chief administrative judge, Judge Feroleto had jurisdiction in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
She was born in Kingston, Ont., where both parents attended medical school. She grew up in Rochester, then received her B.S. degree from Georgetown University in 1978 and her J.D. degree from UB Law in 1982.
She attended UB law school on the Amherst campus. Her fondest memory was meeting her husband, John, on the first day of class. They enjoyed social events, went to bars after exams, played on softball teams and relished other fun outings. Her favorite teacher was Professor Phil Halpern, in Criminal Law.
Jack Quinn at the Quinn & McGeary law firm was a mentor. She interned at Boreanaz, NeMoyer and Baker. Boreanaz was a skilled cross-examiner, and his transcripts were like a “work of art,” she said. She went to federal court to watch him argue.
While in law school, Judge Feroleto married her husband and gave birth to two children, so she did not have much time to socialize. Her husband taped classes for her, and she was only out of school for a couple of weeks.
After being admitted to the bar, she found a job at Brown & Kelly and worked there for 20 years until she was elected a judge.
The most rewarding part of private practice was knowing you made a difference in someone’s life, she said, and there were a few times she felt she helped someone who had a “raw deal.”
As a judge, she said she is particularly proud of implementing an Education 2 Recovery program that offers participants the opportunity to earn a GED, with instruction taking place at the courthouse.
Judge Feroleto, along with her husband, received the Commitment to Education Award in 2009 from the City of Buffalo in recognition of their efforts to place city high school students in summer internships with law offices. She has extended the opportunity for high school, college and law students to obtain internships in the courts of the 8th Judicial District. Judge Feroleto was recognized by the Minority Bar Association in 2011 with its Legal Service Award. She received the Judiciary Award from the UB Law Alumni Association in 2011, and the Women in the Law Award from the Gender and Racial Fairness Committee of the 8th Judicial District.
