STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — With boxes stacked and shadows where pictures once clung to the wall, Richmond County Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon gazed out of the window of her office inside of the Staten Island Courthouse in St. George.
McMahon looked toward Manhattan as she reflected on the principles that defined her 35-year career.
A career that will come to an end with her retirement at the end of November.
“When I think about the culmination of a profession that I tried very hard every day to do the best that I could possibly do to ensure that everybody is treated fairly, impartially, and that the rule of law is applied,” said McMahon. “I look upon the culmination of that with great satisfaction and pride.”
Retiring New York Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon is photographed at the Richmond County Courthouse in St. George on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. Jason PaderonInspired by her mother
Raised in Jersey City, McMahon faced adversity early on.
When she was 7, her father died, leaving her mother a young widow. Her mother became a powerful role model, going back to college to become a special education teacher while simultaneously teaching English as a second language at night.
“It wasn’t even a question of, ‘Do you want to go to college?’ It’s like, ‘Where are you going to college,’” said McMahon. “The entire household was all about education. She was a very good role model and hard worker.”
With encouragement from her mother, McMahon was able to forge an ambitious path.
This upbringing, shaped by her mother’s resilience, instilled in McMahon a powerful drive and work ethic that led to historic milestones.
Highlights of her career include deciding two landmark cases of first impression where no prior law existed. Both cases were affirmed by appellate courts. McMahon is also proud to have played a pivotal role in decreasing civil court inventory by 2% and increasing dispositions by 14% in 2025 compared with 2024.
For McMahon, her judicial philosophy centers on listening patiently to ensure all parties feel heard and receive fair, impartial adjudication.
“I do love the law, my love of the law never waned, I have to say that,” smiled McMahon.
A legacy of trailblazing
McMahon’s professional journey began outside the legal field, transitioning from pharmacy to law before becoming a pioneering figure in Staten Island’s judiciary.
After earning her pharmacy degree from Rutgers College of Pharmacy in 1977, she practiced as a pharmacist for approximately five years before pursuing a career in law.
As a pharmacist, McMahon worked in both retail and hospital environments, but while she loved the science of pharmacy, she found the practice lacked the people-oriented interaction she craved.
An enthusiastic law professor she encountered during her pharmacy studies sparked her interest in law.
“That professor was so enthusiastic, eloquent and passionate about the law,” McMahon reflected. “I took the Law School Admission Test, I went to law school and actually it was the best decision I ever made in my life. It is where I met my husband (current District Attorney Michael E. McMahon).”
The couple bonded over a shared passion for public service while attending New York Law School.
Hon. Judy and then Congressman Michael McMahon at the National Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House on Jan. 1, 2009 in Washington D.C.Advance/SILive.com | Michael McWeeney
While in law school, she sought a job at a nearby law firm after finding its contact information on an index card. At the time, McMahon did not realize that she had applied to Julien and Schlesinger, P.C., one of the country’s premier plaintiffs medical malpractice firms. Her background as a pharmacist made her an instant hire.
Following her graduation from law school in 1985, McMahon continued her legal career as a trial lawyer at the firm.
This serendipitous opportunity set the trajectory for her career, immersing her in complex tort litigation cases and depositions across the country and ultimately establishing her as one of the first female trial lawyers in that specialized field.
After five years in private practice, McMahon transitioned to the New York State Unified Court System in 1990, to have more predictable hours for her children, Joseph and Julia.
Joseph McMahon, 5, of Randall Manor, takes a photo of his dad, Michael (left); his 3-year-old sister, Julia (center); his mom, Judy (center); and friend James O’Donnell, 5 (right), on June 15, 1998.Advance/SILive.com | Rob Sollett
From 1990 to 2001, McMahon served as a principal law clerk for Justice John Leone of the Criminal Court of the City of New York in Kings County. She then worked briefly as a court attorney for Justice Eric Vitaliano of the Civil Court of the City of New York from 2001 to 2002.
McMahon’s judicial career officially began in 2003 when she was elected to the New York City Civil Court of Richmond County.
In 2006, McMahon was appointed as an acting justice of the Supreme Court in Richmond County by Chief Administrative Justice Jonathan Lippman.
In 2008, McMahon was the first woman to be elected to the Supreme Court of New York State from Richmond County and in 2009 she became the first justice to be elected to the newly formed 13th Judicial District.
Retiring New York Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon is photographed at the Richmond County Courthouse in St. George on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. Jason Paderon
She expressed deep gratitude to the citizens of Richmond County for electing and reelecting her, calling it an “honor and a privilege” to serve them.
“I would like to thank our Richmond county citizens for electing me as their first female Supreme Court justice of the 13th Judicial District in 2008 and reelecting me again in 2022,” McMahon said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to sit and adjudicate the cases of our citizens. I thank you for fulfilling that professional dream.”
As one of the first female plaintiff medical malpractice lawyers and the first woman elected justice in her district, she overcame sexism and felt a responsibility to support other women in law.
For over 15 years, she was in charge of the Richmond County Bar Association’s Louis San Giorgio Internship Program, through which she guided many interns who are now successful lawyers.
“I was at an event and a man comes up to me and says, ’Judge, you had my daughter as an intern. She’ll never forget that.’ So it’s things like that make you feel very, very good,” McMahon said.
McMahon presided over cases in Staten Island’s Supreme Court. Her judicial assignments included Individual Assignment Part and Jury Selection Part.
She is credited with significantly increasing court efficiency as the leader of the civil term’s jury selection part.
Colleagues laud McMahon’s career
Despite the isolating nature of the job, she credits her success to the supportive environment among her colleagues.
Colleagues Administrative Judge Raymond L. Rodriguez and New York State Supreme Court Justice Orlando Marrazzo Jr. recognized McMahon for all her hard work.
Retiring New York Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon (right) is photographed with Administrative Judge Judge Raymond L. Rodriguez (left) at the Richmond County Courthouse in St. George on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. Jason Paderon
“She’s going to be extremely missed here. When I came over here as administrative justice, there was no other person that I could think of to handle and lead for me the civil term and ensure that jury and trials came out,” said Rodriguez, who had the pleasure of appearing before McMahon when he was a private personal injury attorney. “There was only one choice, and that was Judy. Selfishly, I don’t want her to go. I wish I could clone her.”
Rodriguez offered McMahon high praise for being an extraordinary jurist, noting her stewardship of the jury selection part significantly reduced backlogs and increased case dispositions.
“Having her here leading the civil term has been invaluable,” Rodriguez said. “It has made my life easy, my sleep peaceful. She has really set the bar and it’s going to be a tough act to follow.”
Retiring New York Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon is photographed with New York State Supreme Court Justice Orlando ‘Lindy’ Marrazzo Jr. at the Richmond County Courthouse in St. George on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. Jason Paderon
Marrazzo, who learned from McMahon first as an attorney and then as a fellow justice, highlighted a key lesson she taught him: the importance of listening.
“She’s been on the bench since before I was. I learned from her how to be a justice,” Marrazzo said. “The most important lesson is to listen. Listen to attorneys, listen to litigants because it’s important what they all have to say and from that, you really get the gist of what’s going on.”
McMahon emphasized that while justices must follow the rule of law, litigants must leave the courtroom knowing they received a fair and impartial adjudication. This goal is achieved by making them feel understood.
“It’s very true. It’s really up to us to make sure that they have an understanding of what’s happening, that they know we are going to listen and be patient,” said McMahon. “Not that we may agree with them — don’t get me wrong here. The law is the law and we follow the rule of the law.”
Retiring New York Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon is photographed at the Richmond County Courthouse in St. George on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. Jason PaderonWhat’s next?
While McMahon has led a storied career having decided thousands of cases, she will continue her legacy as a fair justice through work as a judicial hearing officer and mediator in retirement.
“For the last few years, I have been mediating cases. It involves a great deal of trust between the attorneys and I,” McMahon explained. “I’ve enjoyed that tremendously and I’ve met incredible people doing that. I’m looking forward to doing that in the future.”
Although McMahon will still be putting in some hours, retiring has given her more free time. McMahon plans to dedicate time to her personal passions. A fitness enthusiast, she maintains a daily routine of working out, including yoga, Pilates, and jogging.
Retiring New York Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon is photographed at the Richmond County Courthouse in St. George on Monday, Nov. 11, 2025. Jason Paderon
“Anybody who knows me can tell you that I work out all the time,” said McMahon. “I love working out it is almost a part of my daily routine.”
She is also learning to play the guitar, a lifelong ambition she is now able to pursue. Additionally, she and her husband, who are avid hikers and travelers, recently returned from a trip to France and are looking forward to more hiking in upstate New York and a potential “girls trip” to Las Vegas.
For McMahon, a career in law has been an experience of a lifetime.
“To me, it’s one of the most beautiful careers you could ever have.”
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