Judge Karalunas teaches New York Civil Practice.
She is the administrative judge overseeing operations of trial courts in the six counties of the Fifth Judicial District: Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego counties. Judge Karalunas fills the vacancy left by Judge James P. Murphy L’84, who was recently named deputy chief administrative judge for courts outside of New York City.
In a statement, Judge Karalunas says, “I am humbled and honored that Chief Administrative Judge Zayas, together with Chief Judge Wilson and Presiding Justice Whalen have entrusted me to oversee the daily operations of the trial courts in the Fifth Judicial District. I look forward to supporting and collaborating with the dynamic leadership of the New York Courts, including First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George, Deputy Chief Administrative Judges James P. Murphy, Edwina Richardson-Mendelson, and Deborah Kaplan, and the entire court family to deliver equal and timely justice to our diverse constituents.”
Judge Karalunas was first elected to the Onondaga County Supreme Court bench in 2002. She was re-elected in 2016 and has served as the presiding justice of the county’s Supreme Court–Commercial Division since 2007.
Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Karalunas was a partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King. She began her legal career as a law clerk to Chief Judge Howard G. Munson of the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York.
She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1978 and graduated cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 1982. At the College of Law, Judge Karalunas was a member of the International Law Review, Moot Court, and Justinian Honor Society.