Christina L. Ryba ’98

Hon. Christina L. Ryba ’98, a trailblazer in New York’s legal landscape, serves as a Supreme Court justice in the third judicial district and as supervising judge of her district.

Elected in 2015, Ryba has navigated a diverse career path largely in public service, from special projects counsel at the Appellate Division and assistant attorney general in the Litigation Bureau to deputy director for the Albany Community Development Agency. She also practiced law in the private sector, specializing in employment and commercial litigation.

As the first Black person elected to the Supreme Court in any Third Department district that covers 28 counties, Ryba is deeply committed to fostering equity in the courtroom, particularly for low-income New Yorkers.

“It’s so important for people to have comparable representation regardless of income,” says Ryba, who was recently appointed as co-chair of the statewide Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, which works to expand access to civil legal services for low-income and unrepresented litigants. “There are programs in place like public defenders and the Legal Aid Society, but there is more work to be done to help those who are most vulnerable.”

Ryba also co-chairs the Third Judicial District Access to Justice Modest Means Subcommittee, which is developing a matrimonial help center to provide essential legal guidance to those who can’t afford attorneys.

Majoring in economics at Skidmore with an eye on a law degree, Ryba wanted to initially pursue an acting career. “I figured I’d go into acting and then do law if acting didn’t work out. And, if I decided not to pursue law, I could be a stockbroker,” she says with a chuckle.

Her passion for advocacy and storytelling found its true calling in law after she participated in the National Trial Competition, one of the nation’s top mock trial competitions for law students.

“We had to audition, and I found that I enjoyed presenting a persuasive story to a jury or judge,” says Ryba, who earned her law degree at Albany Law School. 

Returning recently to Skidmore as part of a panel organized by the Career Development Center to honor Black History Month, Ryba shared insights with students on the power of adaptability, seizing opportunities, and the value of mentorship — principles that have guided her in a successful career and beyond.