Hon. R. Bruce Cozzens, Jr. (Ret)

Mediator/Arbitrator

A well-respected member of the Nassau County Supreme Court bench since 1998, Justice Cozzens served for the past 21 years as the Presiding Justice of the Trial Assignment Part. In that position, he conferenced trial-ready cases daily settling hundreds of cases without the need for trial and initiated the streaming of expedited jury trials. From 2010-2025, he also operated the Medical Malpractice Settlement Part,

In addition to his other professional responsibilities, Justice Cozzens has been an adjunct professor of law at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University teaching Pre-Trial Skills since 2006.

Before ascending to the bench, Justice Cozzens spent several years in the private practice of law as a trial attorney, first with McCabe, Nicolini and Paradise beginning in 1981. In 1984 he became a partner in the firm, then known as McCabe, Nicolini, Paradise and Cozzens. In 1987 he founded a new firm, McCabe & Cozzens, where he practiced until 1997. During the course of his career as a trial attorney, Justice Cozzens handled cases involving negligence, personal injury, property damage, and insurance coverage.