Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. was appointed to the Western District of New York by President Donald Trump in 2019.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Judge Sinatra began his career as a law clerk to the New York Court of Appeals (1996–1998), followed by practice as an associate at Jones Day in Cleveland, Ohio (1998–2007). He then served as Senior Counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce (2007–2008) before returning to Buffalo as a partner at Hodgson Russ, LLP (2008–2019). He is known for significant Second Amendment rulings addressing New York's firearm restrictions following the Supreme Court's Bruen decision.
Education
- State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1996
- State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A., magna cum laude, 1993
Career
- U.S. District Judge, Western District of New York, 2019–present
- Partner, Hodgson Russ LLP, Buffalo, NY, 2008–2019
- Senior Counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2007–2008
- Associate, Jones Day, Cleveland, OH, 1998–2007
- Law Clerk, New York Court of Appeals, 1996–1998