Articles

Profile of the Honorable Margaret Parisi McGowan

By Michael Goldsmith

The Hon. Margaret Parisi McGowan, Judge of the Housing Court of the Civil Court of the City of New York, has traveled the world, but has come home to Queens County.

Judge McGowan is a native of Queens. She grew up in Flushing, attending Flushing High School. “I am the product of a public education,” said the Judge with a smile.

Although a third generation attorney, law was not Judge McGowan’s first career. The 19 year old high school graduate originally chose to pursue her first love, traveling, through employment with Pan American World Airlines.

“When you worked for the airline, you got to travel for free,” said Judge McGowan. “If I had two days off in a row, I would fly somewhere. I have been around the world twice. I wish travel was a benefit of being a judge.”

Shortly starting her job as a sales agent for Pan Am, the future Judge became involved with her union, and began organizing campaigns for the airline division of the Teamsters Union for the northeast region. Eventually, she began to fight for airline employees’ benefits, and began representing coworkers at Grievance Hearings. Judge McGowan also went to Washington, D.C. to lobby members of Congress, and to meet with the National Labor Relations Board.

After a time, Judge McGowan began to feel limited, because at a certain stage in the Grievance proceedings, she had to give the file to an attorney, as legal representation was required at the Arbitration Proceedings.

Judge McGowan went on to stay with Pan Am for 16 years, until May 1984, and was ultimately the Chief Steward for the Teamsters Union.

While working full time at the airline, Judge McGowan received her B.A. from Queens College in 1971, majoring in Political Science, and minoring in Secondary Education.

In May of l987, Judge McGowan received her J.D. Degree from the CUNY School of Law at Queens College. She was a proud member of the brand new law school’s second graduating class.

While at law school, Judge McGowan interned with Advocates for Children’s Rights, an agency which worked with special education children trying to mainstream the children back into the system, and clerked with Bernard Morganthaler, Esq., a now retired attorney in Bellerose, New York, primarily in the area of real estate.

After her graduation from law school, Judge McGowan worked of counsel to the late Mike Ricci, practicing primarily in criminal appeals, landlord/tenant law, and general litigation.

From December 1988 through June 1990, Judge McGowan was associated with the law office of Robert A. Katz, in Rego Park. This was a general practice firm, with an extensive focus in landlord/tenant practice representing tenants and tenants’ associations. Her responsibilities consisted of trying cases and writing and arguing appeals. “On my first day on the job, I was told to go in and adjourn six cases. The Judge refused to grant my application, and I had to argue all six cases. It was certainly a trial by fire,” reminisced Judge McGowan.

From June 1990 to May 1998, Judge McGowan served as a senior court attorney in the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York, in the Bronx. “The court was in the basement. We had 100 cases a day in a room that looked like a closet. It was so small, no one had to get up to hand papers to the Judge or the court officer.”

Judge McGowan also served as a Small Claims Arbitrator in the Civil Court. “I found Small Claims Court very interesting. Quite often, people would stand on principles for $2.00, and say “it’s the principle.” I would say, no it’s the $2.00,” said the Judge.

From May 1998 to the present, Judge McGowan has been presiding in the Housing Court in Bronx, New York and Queens Counties.

New York City Housing Court has a crushing volume of cases. “About six months ago I did all the building violation cases for Manhattan and Queens at the same time. We also did our own trials, and we also go out on inspections,” said Judge McGowan. “I recall inspecting one building in Manhattan, that the Department of Buildings said was habitable, but the HPD said was uninhabitable. I had to wear a construction hat and walk up planks. There were four by fours holding up the landings. That premises was certainly not habitable.”

Judge McGowan is a vivacious, energetic woman, with boundless energy. She recalls many interesting and unusual cases. “I recall one case that I settled in the Bronx,” said the Judge. It involved a dispute between a landlord and a tenant on Arthur Avenue. After the case was resolved, the tenant said to me “Can I say something to you? I felt threatened coming to court. I opened up my door and found this.” At that point, the tenant opened up a bag and removed a goat’s head. The Judge said to the tenant “I feel like I am in a scene from the Godfather. Take the goat’s head and have a nice day.”

“Afterwards,” continued Judge McGowan, “I said to the court officer, “How could you let someone in to the courthouse with a goat’s head in a shopping bag?” The court officer said that he knew that I was Italian and that the goat’s head was actually an Italian dish called capuzella, and that I thought it would be funny.” The Judge went on to say that Landlord/Tenant Court is also an opportunity for “show and tell,” and there have been many exhibits involving mice and roaches produced in the courthouse. Once, she recalls a litigant bringing in a powder to the Court as evidence that the other litigant was putting a curse on him.

“I love my job. I like people. If you like people, this is the place to be. As a Judge, you supposed to follow the law, but you also need a certain amount of compassion and a sense of humor. A sense of humor is a must in this job.”

In addition, Judge McGowan feels that you must “balance the equities.” “There are small landlords who could lose the house if the rent is not paid. However, there are tenants that are without any other place to go.” Quite often, the Judge arranges to have agencies assist these indigent litigants as quickly as possible.

Judge McGowan enjoys teaching. She has taught Real Property Law and Civil Litigation at the Career Institute, Real Property Law at Marymount College, and has most recently been an instructor at her old alma mata, Queens College.

Judge McGowan’s is very proud of her family. Her 27 year old son is a stock trader, and her brother Paul is a teacher, who just retired after serving 33 years at the Board of Education. She is also very close with her 86 year old mother. Judge McGowan’s husband passed away about 8 years ago.