Justice Gretchen Walsh sits in the Commercial Division, the Ninth Judicial District’s Environmental Claims Part (“ECP”), and a Civil Trial Part of the New York State Supreme Court, Westchester County. In addition to her civil assignments, Justice Walsh also sits on the Supreme Court, Appellate Term, 9th and 10th Judicial Districts since her appointment in 2022. Following her election in November 2015, she was assigned the ECP and a Civil Trial Part in Supreme Court, Orange County where she presided over civil and matrimonial cases. From 2017-2019, she was assigned to the Matrimonial Part in Westchester County and continued to preside over the ECP.
Justice Walsh was the Principal Court Attorney to the Hon. Alan D. Scheinkman, J.S.C. from 2008-2015, when he was the Presiding Justice of Westchester County’s Commercial Division. In addition to her duties as Principal Court Attorney, she presided over disciplinary hearings and helped to develop the E-Filing Protocols for Westchester County=s NYSCEF Program. Justice Walsh was formerly Deputy Counsel, Office of Court Administration, where her responsibilities included training hearing officers in the Small Claims Assessment Review Program and serving as Counsel to the Commercial Division Focus Groups, which culminated in the Report to the Chief Judge on the Commercial Division Focus Groups (July 2006). She was also the Principal Court Attorney/Special Counsel to the Hon. Jonathan Lippman, then Chief Administrative Judge, and Principal Court Attorney to the Hon. Mary Smith, J.S.C. In 2014, Justice Walsh received the Joseph F. Gagliardi Award for Excellence for her distinguished service in the court system. She is the author of a chapter entitled Litigation Management by Judges in R. Haig’s Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts treatise (Fifth Edition).
Prior to her joining the court system, Justice Walsh was a commercial litigator at Kelly Drye & Warren LLP in New York City (1987-2002).
Justice Walsh received her J.D. from Fordham University Law School and her undergraduate degree from SUNY Stony Brook (Phi Beta Kappa). At Fordham Law School, she was the Commentary Editor for the Fordham Urban Law Journal and is the author of a Note in that Journal (1986). She was admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey (1988) and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts (1988).
Justice Walsh has been a lecturer at numerous continuing legal education seminars sponsored by various bar associations of which she is a member (New York State Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association, and Westchester Women’s Bar Association) as well as judicial seminars at the New York State Judicial Institute. She is a member of the Curriculum Committee for the Commercial Division Advisory Council’s Institute on Complex Commercial Litigation. Her community service includes legal advisor to the White Plains Youth Court (2012-present), member of the Village of Pleasantville’s Planning Commission (2001-2008), and officer/director on the notfor-profit companies formed by the Village of Pleasantville to develop and manage a 24-unit senior affordable housing project (2000-2018).