The Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo

The Honorable Victoria A. Graffeo has dedicated much of her time and energies to public service. She began her career as a Litigation Associate before moving on to serve in a number of roles in state government, including Chief Counsel to the Assembly Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly, and Counsel at the New York State Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. In 1995, she became Solicitor General to the New York State Attorney General, where she was directly responsible for management and rendering of AG opinions to state agencies and municipalities. 

Judge Graffeo began her long and distinguished career on the bench in 1996, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy on the New York State Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District, and was elected to a full term in 1997. The following year, she was designated to serve as an additional Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District. From this position, she was able to make a difference at a very high level. 

In 2000, Judge Graffeo was nominated to the New York State Court of Appeals by then-Governor George Pataki. She was confirmed by the State Senate on November 29, 2000, and served on the Court with honor and distinction until 2014, when she ended her respected tenure as Senior Associate Judge. Judge Graffeo has authored more than 250 civil and criminal majority opinions of the Court and held numerous judicial appointments, including Chair of the New York State Federal Judicial Council and Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Pro Bono Scholars Program. 

Judge Graff o is also actively involved in many community organizations. She was recently inducted into the Wall of Fame of the American Italian Museum and serves on Albany Law School’s National Alumni Council and the Board of Directors of Opera Saratoga. 

For more than 25 years, Judge Graffeo has been a member of the Zonta Club of Albany, an organization that provides volunteer services and support programs to improve the economic status of women and children in the Capital District. She is a past   treasurer and board member of the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association and an auxiliary member of the Boyd Hilton Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 7062. 

Judge Graffeo was a glowing success in her career and has not forgotten her community in the process. Staying active in volunteer work, she continues to fight for better lives for women and children and for justice for all – dedicating her life and career to public service.