Former city, appellate justice dies 

The Hon. Reuben K. Davis died early Tuesday morning after a brief illness.

Justice Davis was for many years a highly respected lawyer and judge in Rochester, and was a partner in Hurst and Davis, the city’s first African-American law firm.

“Both he and Lloyd Hurst were pioneers in the African-American community,” said retired city Judge Roy Wheatley King, whose first job after law school was with the Hurst and Davis firm. “All the lawyers that passed through the firm — he mentored all of us.

“Reuben was an excellent lawyer, a wonderful teacher and a great friend,” King said. “Today is one of those days that we’re totally torn apart.”

Rochester City Court Judge Teresa D. Johnson said Tuesday afternoon that “the whole courthouse is sad.”

“He was a giant in this legal community,” she said.

Judge Johnson said Justice Davis heard cases as a judicial hearing officer as recently as last fall.

“He loved the law and continued right up until this past fall,” she said. “Every case got his full attention and respect and the depth of his legal knowledge. There’s nobody like him.”

“It was very sad news but not unexpected. We knew he was sick,” Appellate Division, Fourth Department Justice Elizabeth W. Pine, who served on the panel with Justice Davis, said. “He was a wonderful judge and person.”

Justice Pine said Justice Davis often substituted in Small Claims Court. He felt strongly that qualified judges should serve on that bench, where defendants often go unrepresented and are not knowledgeable of the law.

“He just really cared about what happened there,” Justice Pine said. “He was a great judge. This is a huge loss.”

Born July 25, 1920, Justice Davis received his LL.B. from Boston University School of Law and was admitted to the bar in March 1950. He practiced law in Brooklyn until 1955, when he moved to Rochester and practiced with Hurst and Davis (1955 to 1966). He served as the city’s Deputy Corporation Counsel in 1966-1967 and was sworn in as a Rochester City Court judge in 1967, becoming the city’s first African-American judge. The March 30, 1967 edition of Jet magazine included a photo of Justice Davis being sworn in by then-Mayor Frank Lamb, who appointed him to the bench following the resignation of Judge Emmett Doyle.

Justice Davis served as the commissioner for the city’s Department of Buildings from 1968 to 1969.

He was elected to Rochester City Court in 1974 and to the Supreme Court in 1982.

Former Gov. Mario Cuomo appointed Justice Davis to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department in 1987.

Justice Davis was a willing mentor to younger members of the bench and bar, particularly African-American members.

Attorney LaMarr Jackson said she looked up to Justice Davis like an uncle.

“He was a gentleman at all times,” said Jackson, a partner at Harris, Chesworth, O’Brien, Johnstone, Welch & Leone. “He was always humble and never looked for notoriety. He was always patient with people.”

Judge Johnson agreed.

“He always encouraged me to be at my best and to go after whatever it was that I thought was important to me,” she said. “He always had time for anyone.”

As a jurist, Jackson said, he always fit the bill: “He had no problem taking you to task, but he did it as a gentleman.”

“Anyone who knew him would say that if there was ever a judge to emulate, it was Reuben K. Davis,” Jackson said. “I’ll miss him.”

Justice Davis through the years also served as chairman of the Monroe County Human Relations Commission and was active with many other organizations, including the U.N.C.A. of Greater Rochester, the Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Governmental Research, the Memorial A.M.C. Zion Church, the Montgomery Neighborhood Center, Literacy Volunteers of Rochester and the Monroe County Bar Association.

A memorial service is being planned, however details were not available at press time.