Nicholas G. Garaufis entered service as a United States District Judge in the Eastern District of New York on August 28, 2000. Judge Garaufis was nominated by President Clinton on February 28, 2000 upon the recommendation of U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan(D-NY). On May 24, 2000, the United States Senate confirmed Judge Garaufis by unanimous consent. Judge Garaufis assumed senior status on October 1, 2014.
Prior to his appointment, Judge Garaufis served for more than five years as the Chief Counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C., overseeing a staff of 200 attorneys. Prior to his appointment to the Clinton Administration in June, 1995, Judge Garaufis served for nine years as counsel to Queens Borough President Claire Shulman in New York City.
Judge Garaufis began his legal career in 1974 as an associate of Chadbourne & Parke. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Litigation Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s office under Attorney General Louis J. Lefkowitz and has practiced law privately in Queens County, New York.
After receiving his B.A. from Columbia College in 1969, Judge Garaufis taught in New York City public schools. In 1974, he received his J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law where he was the co-founder and founding managing editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. Judge Garaufis is married.
Staff Information
Chambers: (718) 613-2540
Courtroom Deputy: (718) 613-2545
Office Address:
United States Courthouse
Room 1426 S
225 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, NY 11201