Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Branch:
The Practitioner’s Guide to 360 Adams Street.

360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Branch operates out of 360 Adams Street in downtown Brooklyn, with some judges sitting at the Jay Street courthouse nearby. This is one of the highest-volume civil courthouses in New York State. The discovery calendar alone processes hundreds of matters weekly through the Central Compliance Part in Room 282.

If you’re sending per diem coverage to Brooklyn for the first time, this guide covers what you need to know. If you’ve been here before but haven’t appeared in a while, the rules may have changed. Always verify current procedures with the Part Clerk.

The Discovery Engine. Budget Your Time Accordingly.

CCP in Kings County is different from every other borough. This is the primary discovery hub for the entire courthouse, and it operates on its own schedule.

The time tax. Attorneys routinely wait three to five hours in Room 282 for a “So-Ordered” stipulation. If you’re an out-of-state firm sending someone to Brooklyn CCP for the first time, tell them to clear the morning and possibly the early afternoon. Do not schedule anything else for the same day.

How matters are resolved. Most CCP appearances are resolved via consent. You and opposing counsel negotiate a discovery stipulation, agree on dates for depositions, IMEs, and document production, and submit it for the court’s signature. The critical skill here is negotiating language carefully. “Firm” dates for EBTs and IMEs mean something in this courthouse. If you agree to a firm date and miss it, you will face preclusion motions.

Consent Orders. Must be submitted by 3:00 PM two days prior to the conference date, or you must appear in person. If not resolved on consent, your case stays for the 11:00 AM formal calendar call, where you make your application before a court referee or the presiding Justice.

Non-cooperative adversaries. If opposing counsel refuses to cooperate on a stipulation, in-person advocacy is required. This is where per diem quality matters. The attorney in Room 282 needs to know how to argue for preclusion, compel discovery, or force a schedule on a recalcitrant adversary.

Latest booking for CCP: 9:30 AM morning of the appearance. We prefer 24 hours’ notice.

The Point of No Return for Discovery in Brooklyn.

NI-FCP stands for Note of Issue/Final Conference Part. It is the most consequential procedural milestone in Kings County discovery practice, and the rules here are stricter than in most other boroughs.

The 6-week rule. Final Conferences are scheduled six weeks prior to the Note of Issue deadline. The court’s objective is to confirm that ALL discovery is complete: supplemental bills of particulars, physical examinations, expert disclosures, everything.

No automatic extensions. Kings County has eliminated automatic NOI extensions. At the Final Conference, the Note of Issue will NOT be extended unless you demonstrate “Good Cause.” That means substantive affirmations explaining exactly why discovery is incomplete: sudden surgical interventions, expert unavailability, pending document production. Generic excuses do not work here.

The NINA-C trap. After the Final Conference, your case is assigned a NINA-C date (Note of Issue/No Appearance-Compliance). If you fail to file the Note of Issue by the NINA-C date without a court-ordered extension, the result is Administrative Dismissal. This catches out-of-state attorneys who are accustomed to more lenient boroughs.

The Final Gateway Before Trial.

When a case is marked “Final” and sent to JCP, the court expects all parties ready for immediate trial or settlement. This is one of the highest-stakes, highest-pressure parts in Brooklyn.

Calendar call. The JCP calendar is massive. Failure to answer the first or second call can result in your case being struck from the calendar or an inquest ordered against your client. Arrive on time. Answer when called.

Settlement authority required. Unlike discovery parts, JCP requires the attorney present to have full settlement authority. Sending a per diem who can only say “I need to check with the partner” is not acceptable. If full authority is not possible, the handling attorney must be available by phone and ready to make a decision immediately.

Marked off cases. If your case is marked off because the adversary fails to appear, you have two options: move for a default or follow the retaining firm’s instructions for restoration. Know the firm’s preference before walking in.

Medical Malpractice, Labor Law, and City Cases.

Medical Malpractice (MMESP and MMTRP)

Hon. Genine D. Edwards, Part 80, handles one of the busiest med-mal calendars in the state. Specific requirements apply for expert disclosure. Adjournments based on “incomplete discovery” that should have been handled in CCP will be refused. Come prepared.

Hon. Ellen M. Spodek, Part 63, presides over MMTRP. High level of preparedness is expected at every appearance. Penalties apply for missing authorizations or unfiled Notes of Issue.

Hon. Consuelo Mallafre Melendez, Part 4/15, focuses on early-stage settlement conferences. This part pushes for resolution before litigation costs escalate.

Labor Law and Construction (Part 91)

Hon. Devin P. Cohen presides over LL1 and LLMSP. If your case involves Labor Law Section 240 (“Scaffold Law”) or industrial code violations under Section 241(6), you need an attorney who understands these statutes. Part 91 is not a place for general practitioners.

City Parts

Actions against the City of New York, NYPD, FDNY, or DOE are heard in specialized city parts. Hon. Lisa Lewis and Hon. Inga O’Neale handle the majority of these matters. The NYC Law Department has its own discovery protocols. Per diem coverage for city cases requires familiarity with General Municipal Law Section 50-h and the procedural requirements specific to municipal litigation.

Know Your Judge Before You Walk In.

Justice	Part	What to Know
Hon. Ingrid Joseph	Part 83	Rigorous calendar. Focused on moving cases through the discovery phase. Expect strict adherence to deadlines.
Hon. Peter P. Sweeney	Part 73	High-stakes tort litigation. Complex summary judgment motions. Come prepared with caselaw.
Hon. Debra Silber	Part 9	High-volume part. Procedural accuracy is paramount. Do not cut corners on filing requirements.
Hon. Carolyn E. Wade	Part 84	Regular motions and conferences. Standard rules apply.

Do Not Send Per Diem to Part 52.

Hon. Francois A. Rivera, Part 52. This is one of the few parts in Kings County where per diem coverage is not an option. Judge Rivera’s Part Rules require the Attorney of Record or a direct associate from the firm with full binding authority. If you send a per diem, the court may refuse to hear your matter or mark a default.

Everything in Part 52 goes on the record. The judge expects caselaw citations on the spot. If you do not have legal authority ready to cite, you are not prepared for this part. The handling attorney or someone deeply briefed on the case must appear in person.

Before You Walk Into 360 Adams Street.

Motion Support (Room 227). This is the filing hub for motion papers and obtaining working copies. Know where it is before your first appearance.

Ex-Parte Clerk. For TRO and OSC applications, Kings County enforces a 6-hour notice rule. You must provide affirmations of notice to the opposing party. Do not assume you can walk in without it.

Proposed Discovery Rules (effective January 28, 2019). Preliminary conferences are scheduled 45 days after the RJI and are NOT to be adjourned on consent without good cause. Compliance conferences are scheduled no later than 6 months after PC. At the Final Compliance Conference, all outstanding discovery must be scheduled for completion prior to the NOI date. Discovery not completed before the NOI deadline is deemed waived. These rules tightened the entire Kings County discovery calendar significantly.

EBT Coverage at 360 Adams Street and Downtown Brooklyn.

We handle depositions at the courthouse and at nearby offices in the MetroTech/Downtown Brooklyn area. In-person and remote (Zoom/Teams) options available.

$550 for depositions up to three hours. $800 flat rate for full-day depositions. Interpreter required: add $100.

EBT reporting is delivered within 24 hours and includes a summary of testimony, key admissions, problematic testimony flagged, witness assessment, marked exhibits, and recommended next steps.

Out-of-State? We’re Your Kings County Local Counsel.

If you are litigating in Brooklyn on a pro hac vice admission, you need local counsel who knows the Kings County CCP system, the NINA-C administrative dismissal trap, and which parts refuse to hear per diem attorneys. We serve as local counsel for out-of-state firms in Kings County and handle PHV motions, court appearances, discovery management, and the 3-to-5-hour CCP appearances that catch firms from other jurisdictions off guard.

Learn about our pro hac vice local counsel services →

Flat Rates. No Surprises.

$250 per half-day session (morning or afternoon). If your appearance runs past 1:00 PM, an additional $250 applies for the afternoon session.

Service	Rate
CCP / Compliance Conference	$250
Preliminary Conference	$250
Status Conference	$250
Motion argument	$250
JCP / Trial calendar call	$250
EBT (up to 3 hours)	$550
EBT (full day)	$800
Interpreter surcharge	+$100

Confirmation within 15 minutes. Report by end of business day.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The Law Office of Frederic R. Abramson, 160 Broadway, Suite 500, New York, NY 10038. 212-233-0666.