Henry Bramwell
United States District Court for the
Eastern District of New York
Brooklyn, New York
(Retired)
Born: Brooklyn, New York-September 3, 1919
Education: Brooklyn Law School (LL.B. 1948).
With
his appointment on December 26, 1974, Judge Henry Bramwell became the
first African-American appointed to the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of New York. He was appointed by President
Ford. Judge Bramwell assumed senior status on October 1, 1987, and
retired thereafter.
Judge Bramwell
was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Admitted to law school
without an undergraduate degree, Bramwell attended Brooklyn Law School
following World War II. He received his LL.B. degree from Brooklyn Law
School in 1948.
Judge Bramwell
began his professional career as a general practitioner in the Borough
Hall area of Brooklyn. For about twelve years, he was legal counsel to
the branch of the National Alliance of Postal Employees. Additionally,
under his legal guidance, the Surface Line Operators Fraternal
Organization, Inc. grew in size and stature from a few bus operators of
the New York City Transit Authority meeting in a small rented store
room on Fulton Street, to a membership of over 1,000 with their own
meeting hall at Transit Hall on Willoughby and Nostrand Avenues. During
his early years, Judge Bramwell was active and participated in the
Higher Horizons Program of the Board of Education of the City of New
York.
From December of
1953 to April of 1961, Judge Bramwell was an Assistant United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. He began as a prosecutor
in the civil division of the office and was there for approximately
three years. Thereafter, he was a prosecutor in the criminal division
for approximately four and a half years. He was the first
African-American to be a prosecutor in the criminal division. From 1961
to 1963, Judge Bramwell was Associate Counsel to the New York State
Rent Commission. From 1965 to 1966, he was a Special Hearing Officer
for conscientious objectors for the Department of Justice.
In September
1966, Judge Bramwell was appointed a Judge of the Civil Court of the
City of New York, and thereafter, in 1968, he was elected to the Court
with bipartisan endorsement. He served as an Assistant Administrative
Judge of the Court until January 1975. He also served during this time
as an Acting Supreme Court Justice for one year in the trial of civil
proceedings.
From 1965 to
1975, Judge Bramwell was a Judge of the New York City Civil Court. He
was appointed to the federal bench in 1974. He assumed senior status in
1987 and retired shortly thereafter.
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