James Blain, Deputy County Clerk, showcasing his cultural roots and personal style at the Courts’ Black History Month Fashion Show in 2023. Blain is set to retire on Thursday, June 29 after a long and satisfying career in the clerk’s office.
Eagle photo by Robert Abruzzese.
From the bustling streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti to the grand halls of the Kings County Clerk’s Office in Brooklyn, the journey of Deputy County Clerk James Blain is nothing short of inspiring. Blain, born in Haiti in 1963, migrated to the diverse neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn with his family in 1971 at the tender age of seven. This cultural transition was a shock for the young boy, but it played a pivotal role in shaping his future and his pursuit of a career in the court system.
Raised in a Panamanian neighborhood, Blain attended the Holy Spirit/Saint Theresa Catholic School before heading to Chelsea Vocational High School. Upon graduating, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brooklyn College. Despite this academic background, he found himself drawn to a profession centered more around people than numbers.
Blain’s journey to the courts started in an unlikely place – a personal injury law firm where he worked as a runner. An incident where he was unfairly criticized for not being able to file a judgment due to procedural issues is what sparked an interest in public service. Blain knew that he would serve the public differently if he ever found himself in a similar position and it is what triggered his pursuit of a career within the court system.
In fact, it was Blain’s ability to help people that got him into the court system in the first place, although he started in White Plains before he found his way to Brooklyn.
“I went for the interview and it so happened that they asked me if I knew computers, I said yes, I know how to work them,” said Blain, who commuted four hours a day to White Plains. “They asked me if I could fix this computer, and I…
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