In November of 2024, Brooklyn Tech revived its Career Day event for the first time in years. The event was organized by the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation and featured 120 alumni volunteers who returned to their alma mater majors to provide insight into their careers and experiences.
Judge Herbert Moses, a Tech alumni, started his path as an electrical engineering major in the class of 1975. Although he initially planned to become a math teacher, his career took a different turn when he chose to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Later, he earned a law degree from CUNY School of Law.
Judge Moses began his legal career as a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, serving for five years before shifting to criminal defense as a solo practitioner for two decades. In 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed him to the New York City Supreme Criminal Court, with a reappointment in 2018 to present day.
During his Career Day visit, he attended two Law and Society classes. Steven Linkh (‘26), a student in the Constitutional Law class Moses visited, commented on how Moses’ testimony helped influence his outlook regarding possible career opportunities. “It made me realize that there’s no right or wrong path when choosing what you want to do with your life,” Linkh reflects. “It’s okay to change your mind and pursue what you love to do.”
To get a better insight into his life Law and Society majors Toka Hussain and Ava Dobran spent a day in the Court and reported on his daily schedule.
Judge Moses’ Daily Schedule
6:00 AM – 7:00 AM: Judge Moses wakes up and gets ready.
7:00 AM – 7:30 AM: Moses gets his 12-year-old twins ready for school and begins his commute to work.
8:00 AM: At around 8:00 in the morning, Judge Moses arrives at his office at the New York City Supreme Court and begins his day. He re-reads the cases that are lined up for the day and changes into business casual attire. He then reviews case files and notes from the previous day before preparing for the day’s court calendar.
9:15 AM: Judge Moses goes downstairs to the robing room, a place where he changes into his judge’s robe and reviews his calendar for the week.
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM: This is the time spent within the courtroom on the bench, Judge Moses uses this time ruling and judging cases. He always begins by greeting everyone with a “good morning.” Then, Moses begins calling cases with his clerk. Within these hours he handles a wide range of felony cases, usually totalling 20–22 cases each day. These may include robbery, attempted murder, grand jury indictments, arraignments, bail arguments, or bench warrants for no-shows. Most cases are handled quickly, at times lasting only one minute; but complex ones, like bail hearings or disorderly conduct, may take longer.
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM: Judge Moses prepares for the next day’s docket, reads legal materials, case files, and grand jury minutes. He may attend meetings with other court officials or administrators. He also occasionally deals with emergency cases or last-minute developments, such as newly arrested individuals or extra cases added to the calendar.
