Hon. Ariel E. Belen (Ret.) was an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department since 2008 and has served as a Justice of the New York Supreme Court trial and appellate terms since 1995. Justice Belen helped create the Commercial Division in Kings County and then presided as a Justice handling complex commercial cases from 2002 to 2005. Over the course of nearly 18 years of distinguished judicial service, he developed a reputation as a calm, intelligent, fair, and hardworking jurist. He presided over countless matters covering the gamut of civil litigation from administrative to zoning law. A prolific writer, Justice Belen co-authored New York Trial Notebook, a comprehensive trial practice treatise. He was an instructor for many years at the New York State Judicial Institute where he taught all newly appointed or elected New York judges in the art of judging.
