A. Kathleen Tomlinson at a glance
- Current role
- Magistrate
- Jurisdiction
- New York · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
A. Kathleen Tomlinson
Magistrate · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York · Magistrate · Active · February 24, 2006–present · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Source authority
- CourtListener / Free Law Project
Biography
Professional career
- U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, appointed in 2006 and serving until her death in 2021 at age 73
- She spent 14 years as an academic administrator at Long Island University, rising to assistant university dean for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Tomlinson’s legal practice focused on complex litigation, labor and employment law, white‐collar defense, and civil rights cases
Education
- Long Island University in — M.A. (1975)
- Rutgers University in — B.A. (1972)
Additional information
- Magistrate, District Court, E.D. New York, 2006-present
- Tomlinson was appointed by the Eastern District of New York’s Board of Judges to the federal magistrate court on February 24, 2006, to a renewable eight‐year term.
- She then worked as a staff attorney for the Nassau County Legal Aid Society (1988–1991), held the role of a federal law clerk to the late U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt, and joined Farrell Fritz, P.C., becoming a partner in 1998
- She presided over cases in the district for 15 years, known for her diligence, fairness, and collegiality.
- She was recognized for her pro bono work, leadership in the Nassau County Bar Association, and service on the Federal Bar Association’s Civic Education Committee
- Before her judicial appointment, she held the role of counsel to the district’s Board of Judges Grievance Committee, on the Criminal Justice Act Panel, and as a member of the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
New York statewide rules require permission before photographing, filming, videotaping, audiotaping, broadcasting, or telecasting in court facilities, including courtrooms.
Taking photographs, films or videotapes, or audiotaping, broadcasting or telecasting, in a courthouse including any courtroom, office or hallway thereof, at any time or on any occasion, whether or not the court is in session, is forbidden, unless permission of the Chief Administrator of the Courts or a designee of the Chief Administrator is first obtainedPart 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗
Exhibits
Statewide
The official Guide to New York Evidence identifies court control over presentation of evidence as a statewide evidence topic; counsel should expect the assigned judge to control the mode and order of proof.
1.07. COURT CONTROL OVER PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCEGuide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
SDNY and EDNY — Joint Local Civil and Criminal Rules
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Federal district-court proceedings only. Civil and criminal sections have distinct scope and district-specific exceptions. Not Bankruptcy Court rules.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · effective February 24, 2006 · Source checked August 2, 2026
View U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York current judicial profile ↗Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · New York State Unified Court System · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role
Statewide source · HTML · New York State Unified Court System · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗