"The Robing Room: NY State Judges

Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan	See Rating Details
Supreme Court
New York County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 5.0 - 17 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: - 0 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY7117
Rating:9.5

Comments:
this part tries to settle cases which is more than one can say for other parts. even if case comes in for discovery, there is an effort to try to get parties to talk settlement. discovery if routine is handled by staff. if case can't settle you get a well thought out decision. It does take longer, no doubt because of volume. judge has handled high profile and complex cases and not afraid to make a decision. she is wasted on routine matters.

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: NY5572
Rating:2.4

Comments:
She has poor performance (or perhaps it is her staff which has poor performance. Nonetheless she often does not appear in the court room during the case. Terrible!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4780
Rating:9.4

Comments:
Handled a multi-party complex commercial insurance reorganization before her with 150 or more lawyers in the courtroom and she was knowledgeable, prompt, intelligent and helped narrow the issues, writing a number of opinions on novel areas of the law. The case moved, she resolved disputes and the case itself was resolved quickly. Competent staff. Why she is not in the commercial part is a surprise.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY4439
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Doris Ling Cohan appears short-sighted.
She seems to never come out of her chambers onto the bench during the case.

We had a case going on with her for many months; she never once appeared. What kind of Justice is that?

Doris Ling Cohan gave peculiar rulings; she almost had to have an inside track.

Ling Cohan may have been relying on, and she was definitely referencing knowledge other that which was public in the case.
Can she be bought?

Is Doris Ling Cohan another crook in a robe?

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY3804
Rating:3.6

Comments:
She does not appear to be paying attention to what her decisions are affecting in the long term.

She may be short-sighted.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY3803
Rating:3.6

Comments:
She does not appear to be paying attention to what her decisions are affecting in the long term.

She may be short-sighted.

Court Staff

Comment #: NY3802
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Many lawyers, who have practiced for a long time in NYC, call her terrible.

She doesn't appear to see the forest for the trees.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3570
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Ling-Cohan is perhaps the clearest example of why judges should be required to have private practice experience. In years of appearing before her, no one I have spoken to has ever seen her. Her courtroom is staffed with Asian college and law school students who do the bulk of her work. Her law secretary and clerks seem befuddled by her decisions and frequently throw up their hands in frustration. The simplest of discovery orders is modified by her to include threatening language. She attempts to bind parties have have not answered yet in orders. She permits the entry of new parties post-note of issue and then refuses to extend deadlines. Just a total trainwreck. Goodness help you if your case is more complex than a two-party trip and fall because you'll be hamstrung by incompetence.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3535
Rating:9.5

Comments:
Surprised at some if comments. Although never tried case before her, part is generally well run. There is emphasis on settlement and moving cases which I am sure irks attorneys who want to just bill clients and not move cases. Looks like she irked someone given some of negstive comments were posted on very same day. Lol

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3477
Rating:9.7

Comments:
Very well run part. Does not keep attorneys into the lunchtime like other judges as part finishes conferences early or on time. Clerk does not call conference/motion calendar and default attorneys for being 5 minutes late, unlike other judges. Doesn't take oral argument unless necessary. Probably leans towards plaintiffs. Is a stickler on discovery deadlines though.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY3465
Rating:9.3

Comments:
Recently tried case which I lost but respect this judge. She was very fair to both sides and knew her evidence. Should have settled as she tried and advised.Hardworker as is her staff.

Litigant

Comment #: NY2997
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I am sure the other complimentary comments were "planted" because this judge is one of the worst, by far. Our lawyer and other lawyers who have been in her courtroom agree. In over 4 years in my case she has yet to come out of her chambers and actually meet any lawyer or see any party. She just wants to clear her calendar with poorly reasoned rulings - when she manages to get them out. Her clerks and interns seem to run her case load with no regard to the law and zero instinct for rational thought. A disaster.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY2624
Rating:9.6

Comments:
She is fair and very hard-working. Have had to have subpoena signed late friday afternoon for a trial (not before her) and she was only one in courthouse, after I wandered into many courtrooms looking for a judge. She signed it for me even though it was another judge's case. Appeared in her part for discovery conferences. She will get involved only if problem.. Otherwise her volunteer attorneys and court staff will conference. Like that she will try to settle cases early (her court attorneys will try first) and even after summary judgment motions have been filed. Settled many before her.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY2573
Rating:9.3

Comments:
I tried a many day complex trial before her and she was even-handed, smart, hard-working. Made us keep to a schedule and was even tempered. Case eventually settled, with her guidance, which was good for both sides. Most judges don't even try to settle after they get case, but she is very hands on. She was knowledgeable about the substantive issues and evidentiary issues. It was a pleasure. I have appeared before her for discovery also, and her part is a pleasure as people are not held into lunchtime, Things go smoothly. She has groups of volunteer lawyers handle Preliminary Conferences, which speeds things along but is available to speak to both sides if there are issues.Wish more judges would handle calendar that way instead of keeping people there for hours on simple PC's.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY2124
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This may be the laziest and most incompetent jurist on the bench in all of the judicial system. Never wants to decide anything and will do anything to avoid having to do work.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: NY1934
Rating:1.2

Comments:
She is MIA. Law interns handle litigation. I finally saw her (not spoke to her) on the bench after months in her courtroom. If I fell over her I would not recognize her. I do not know why she became a judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1928
Rating:1.1

Comments:
A terrible waste of space. The only judge I've ever seen who very purposely tries to create conflicts between the parties where there is none. She has absolute imbeciles to conference discovery with counsel. Neither they nor she LISTEN. She threatens sanctions when no one has even hinted that there is a conflict between counsel. She has absolutely no respect for the fact that counsel extend professional courtesy to each other.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY1912
Rating:1.1

Comments:
She is an MIA judge who is never seen or heard from. Her clerks call motions and do all conferences. There is no oral argument in her part. She will issue a 325(d) transfer order in the blink of an eye. Why and how is she a judge I don't know.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: NY349
Rating:2.8

Comments:
This judge is not bright, and definitely functions as an advocate for one side in cases with political overtones. Her opinions in my cases betrayed a complete lack of competence. or understanding of the issues.