His father was a postal clerk, his mother became a computer programmer.
He subsequently served on the New York City Civil Court 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.
Ultimately, the Court of Appeals ordered an additional $1.9 billion in state aid annually for New York City's schools.