3 South Asian American Trailblazers Appointed to New York State Court of Claims
- The “historic” class of 12 attorneys includes Anar Patel, Sarika Kapoor, and Zainab Chaudhry.
Three South Asian Americans have been appointed to the New York State Court of Claims by Gov. Kathy Hochul late last month. They include Anar Patel, Westchester County; Sarika Kapoor, Nassau County; and Zainab Chaudhry, Albany County.
“This historic class of appointments is comprised of highly qualified individuals from a wide array of personal and professional backgrounds, including three first-generation Americans, that will bring diverse and expert perspective to the Court,” read the governor’s statement. “I am confident that each of these exceptional appointments will serve our state with honor and distinction,’ Hochul said. “The diversity of perspective and long tenure of expertise each appointee will bring with them to the bench should leave no doubt in the mind of every New Yorker that they have an expert, fair, and impartial voice in our state’s judiciary.”
Zainab Chaudhry is currently the Principal Court Attorney in the New York State Court of Appeals, a position she has held since 2019. Before her work in the Court of Appeals, the Pakistani American was the Assistant Solicitor General for the Office of the New York State Attorney General, Appeals & Opinions Bureau..She is a member of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and the first Muslim nominee for a gubernatorial appointed position.
Anar Patel is currently counsel at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP, a position she has held since 2020. Before being elevated to Counsel, she was a Litigation Associate from 2010 to 2011, and again from 2013 to 2019. She was a Law Clerk to Hon. William Kuntz II from 2011 to 2013. She was also an Adjunct Professor for the Legal Practice Workshop at Columbia Law School. She is married with three children.
Sarika Kapoor is currently an Associate Court Attorney at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Nassau County Law Department, a position she has held since 2011. Before that, she was a Senior Court Attorney from 2009 to 2011 and Court Attorney from 2004 to 2009. She has also been the Small Claims Tax Assessment Review Hearing Officer in the Supreme Court, Tenth Judicial District since 2005, appointed by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of Nassau County. In addition to Hearing Officer, she is also the special Election Referee for the Supreme Court, appointed by the Nassau County Administrative Judge, Thomas Adams, a position she has held since 2015. The Indian American will be the first little person appointed to the court.