Judge J. David Sampson: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. J. David Sampson is a justice on the Erie County Supreme Court in the 8th Judicial District of New York. Sampson was appointed to the Supreme Court bench by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2025.

The 8th Judicial District includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.

Prior to his appointment, Sampson was a judge on the New York State Court of Claims, a position to which former Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed him in 2015. He was promptly designated to serve as an acting justice on the Erie County Supreme Court.

Sampson earned a B.A. in economics from Canisius College in 1977. He then completed a J.D. at Albany Law School in 1982.

Sampson was admitted to practice in New York (1983) and Pennsylvania (1998).

After graduating from law school, he entered private practice as a partner at Jasen, Jasen & Sampson, P.C. Sampson continued at the firm until 1999, at which time he joined Underberg & Kessler LLP, where he practiced for the next nine years. While in private practice, he specialized in commercial, health care, insurance, intellectual property, securities fraud, and white collar criminal matters, and he also represented NFL players as a certified NFL Players Association Contract Advisor. Sampson earned an AV-Preeminent ranking from Martindale-Hubbell.

Then, in 2008, he became deputy attorney general for Regional Affairs with the Office of the New York State Attorney General, where he served for two years before being named executive deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, a position he held until appointment to the bench.

Sampson has been involved with the Jericho Road Community Health Center, the Rotary Club of Buffalo, and the Greater Niagara Frontier Council Boy Scouts of America.

He attended Hamburg High School.

Sampson is registered as a Democrat.