If a well-rounded life combined with keen legal experience means anything than Attorney Edward Harold King is an ideal candidate in the upcoming boroughwide race for a Civil Court bench seat.
The only son of five children, King was raised by a single parent in Harlem. Growing up, he personally witnessed inequities in housing, education, and the administration of basic services in his community. As a result of his life experiences, he developed a resolve, not only to improve his personal circumstance, but also to pursue social justice for others.
After serving in the Army from 1972-1975, he attended City College of the City University of New York where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Urban Legal Studies. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Antioch Law School in 1983. For the past 35 years, King has been a solo practitioner, specializing in general civil law and is admitted both to the New York State Bar and to the federal courts at both the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York.
“What I do with most things is how I will treat litigants in the courtroom,” said King. “I will try to treat everybody fairly and treat everybody with respect. One of the things I find the courts lacking is you have to listen to the litigants. As a Civil Court Judge, I will try to give everyone a fair shot. And give them a just result based on the facts, circumstances and the law.”
King began his legal career in 1983 as a law assistant to the Hon. Milton F. Tingling (deceased), Civil Court, New York County, and as a principal court attorney to the Hon. Randolph Jackson, Supreme Court, Kings County.
After leaving the court system in 1988, King began representing clients in private law practice, where he has been a tenacious advocate and problem solver on behalf of his clients. A skilled litigator, he also provides legal counsel on transactional matters focusing on real property, landlord/tenant, bankruptcy, and trusts and estates.
In recent years, with the advent of predatory lending, King has litigated cases on behalf of clients faced with the prospect of losing their homes. As appellate counsel, King has argued numerous appeals in the Appellate Division. As corporate counsel, he has advised Housing Development Fund Corporation tenant shareholders of the legal, financial and ethical obligations of cooperative ownership and management.
In addition to private practice, King has served as an Administrative Law Judge for the Parking Violations Bureau where he adjudicated administrative and statutory violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.
A firm believer in the principle “to whom much is given, much is required,” King generously gives his time to community service. He regularly participates in “Know Your Rights” forums sponsored by civic groups and churches to educate communities throughout the city about legal issues. Since 2017, he has served as a pro bono attorney in the New York County Lawyers Association’s Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities Project, which assists formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society.
King is a founding member and Deacon of Brooklyn Community Church and is a member of the church’s Legal Committee which sponsors an annual Law Day program to encourage dialog among members of the bar, bench, and community. In 2017, Mr. King received the “Man of the Year” award in recognition of his pro bono work at Brooklyn Community Church.
The Civil Court deals with cases that involve $25,000 or less, including landlord-tenant cases, small claims and a smattering of name changes.
“Most people who go to civil court go unrepresented, especially in landlord-tenant cases,” said King. “The majority are females and a great number are minorities. Many of these people rely on the civil court, which is why it is often called the people’s court,” King explained.
King is a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, New York County Lawyers Association and New York State Trial Lawyers Academy. He is a sports enthusiast and is a basketball referee, for numerous leagues, including the Catholic and Public School Athletic Leagues. He has been an active member of the Sports United Borowide Officials Association for 35 years, serving as the organization’s legal counsel for over a decade. He currently lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant with his wife and has three adult children.
“People are looking for somebody as a judge who is well-rounded and experienced. Someone who can yield both an empathetic hand or a tighter grip. Based on law clerk, military and administrative law judge experience, I know I can give everybody a fair shot and that’s why I think I would be a great judge in the court,” said King.
The Kings County Civil Court Judicial Primary is slated for Tuesday, June 25.
