Hon. Loren Baily-Schiffman

The Honorable Loren Baily-Schiffman was elected to the Civil Court of Kings County New York in 1998 and re-elected in 2008 and 2018. In 2009, Baily-Schiffman was appointed to the Supreme Court, Civil Term as Acting Supreme Court Justice. Of her 23-years on the bench, she tried hundreds of personal injury cases, from simple auto to complex multi-party labor law cases. During this time, Baily-Schiffman was highly regarded for her prowess in the art of mediation and successfully settling more than half of the trials between jury selection and verdict. Baily-Schiffman retired from the bench in 2021, bringing her deep experience and mediation skill set to SSAM ADR.

“As a judge, I saw that a verdict did not always reflect the true merits or lack of merits of the case and that a jury’s understanding of the case and its value can be risky and completely unpredictable”, says Baily-Schiffman. “So, to me, my essential job now, as a mediator for SSAM, is to make the parties aware of the benefits of controlling the outcome themselves and applying my mediation experience with a keen eye and firm commitment on the end-game of thoughtful settlement”.

Hailing from New York Law School, Baily-Schiffman founded her private practice in 1981, developing an early, respected reputation and specialization in housing and employment discrimination, civil rights and tenant representation cases in Brooklyn and mostly litigating in Federal Court. Baily-Schiffman is a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges, and the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association.

“Having tried so many cases and having seen so many jury perspectives that were beyond the parties’ expectations, I bring a unique perspective and can be very helpful in providing a sober assessment of these adverse risks”, says Baily-Schiffman. “Settling more cases than most during trial, I have experienced the give and take required to bring parties together to arrive at a settlement”.