Civil Court Judge - District 3
Lawyer in his own general practice serving Queens and Nassau County since 2005, who also serves as a court arbitrator; admitted to the New York bar in 1990.
On the Republican and Conservative lines in this election.
Lawyer in private practice and court arbitrator · Admitted to the New York bar in 1990
Selected cases & rulings
His ratings listed here were issued for his 2021 through 2025 Civil Court races; no rating issued for this 2026 race was found as of Sept. 29, 2026. The dates of his work as a court arbitrator, as a senior trial litigator at Allstate Insurance and as an assistant district attorney in Nassau County were not found.
Professional experience
since 2005
Runs his own general law practice serving communities in Queens and Nassau County, which he opened in 2005.
Vision Times — William Shanahan Running for NYC Civil Court Judge in Queens County (July 31, 2023) ↗Court arbitrator, conducting and overseeing small claims and civil trials.
Vision Times — William Shanahan Running for NYC Civil Court Judge in Queens County (July 31, 2023) ↗Senior trial litigator at Allstate Insurance, specializing in fraudulent claims.
Vision Times — William Shanahan Running for NYC Civil Court Judge in Queens County (July 31, 2023) ↗Assistant district attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, where he began his legal career.
Queens Daily Eagle — All but one Queens judicial hopeful approved by city bar association (Oct. 18, 2023) ↗Bar admission & conduct
Admitted 1990 · St. John's University School of Law
NYS Attorney Registrations (data.ny.gov) — William D. Shanahan ↗Qualifications & evaluations
Not Approved
New York City Bar Association · Oct. 24, 2025
The City Bar's committee uses two ratings, Approved and Not Approved; candidates rated Approved have affirmatively demonstrated the qualifications for the position. Issued by the City Bar's Committee on the Judiciary for candidates in the Nov. 4, 2025 general elections, not for this race.
New York City Bar Association — ratings for Civil Court, Supreme Court and District Attorney (Oct. 24, 2025) ↗Approved
New York City Bar Association · Oct. 25, 2024
Issued for his 2024 countywide Civil Court race, not for this race.
New York City Bar Association — ratings for Civil Court, Supreme Court and Surrogate's Court (Oct. 25, 2024) ↗Approved
New York City Bar Association · Oct. 2023
The Queens Daily Eagle reported on Oct. 18, 2023 that the City Bar gave him an Approved rating that week, while he was running for a Civil Court seat in Queens's 6th Municipal District; not for this race.
Queens Daily Eagle — All but one Queens judicial hopeful approved by city bar association (Oct. 18, 2023) ↗Approved
New York City Bar Association · Oct. 22, 2021
Issued for his 2021 countywide Civil Court race, not for this race.
New York City Bar Association — ratings for Civil Court and Supreme Court (Oct. 22, 2021) ↗Failed to Appear
LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York · Oct. 24, 2025
Issued by the association's Judiciary Committee in its Oct. 24, 2025 ratings of judicial candidates, not for this race.
LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York — ratings for the Nov. 4, 2025 general election ↗Failed to Appear
LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York · 2023
Listed for 2023 in a personal voter-guide blog post about the 2025 races, not for this race; the association's own 2023 announcement was not found.
Cogito, Ergo Sumana (Sumana Harihareswara's blog) — NYC 2025 Election: Judges ↗Not Rated
Queens County Bar Association · 2025
Listed for 2025 in a personal voter-guide blog post about his 2025 race, not this race; the association's own announcement was not found.
Cogito, Ergo Sumana (Sumana Harihareswara's blog) — NYC 2025 Election: Judges ↗Qualified
Queens County Bar Association · 2024
Listed for 2024 in the same blog post, for his 2024 Queens Civil Court race, not for this race.
Cogito, Ergo Sumana (Sumana Harihareswara's blog) — NYC 2025 Election: Judges ↗Qualified
Queens County Bar Association · 2021
The association's Judiciary Committee uses three ratings, Well Qualified, Qualified and Not Qualified, and does not share its precise method. Issued for his 2021 countywide Queens Civil Court race, not for this race.
Queens Daily Eagle — QCBA issues judicial candidate ratings (2021) ↗Others running for Civil Court Judge - District 3