Peter Skelos, a justice in the Appellate Division, Second Department for 11 years, is retiring from the bench to join private practice.

Skelos, 59, told Chief Administrative Judge A. Gail Prudenti in a June 29 letter he had accepted “a wonderful opportunity to return to the practice of law” where he hoped to “make a long and valuable contribution to the continued growth and development of one of Long Island’s premier law firms.”