Bill > S07008

This bill allows town and village governing bodies to establish a requirement that their local justices (judges) must be admitted to practice law in the state of New York. Currently, not all town and village justices are required to have legal training, but this bill would give local governments the option to mandate that their justices be licensed attorneys. If a town or village chooses to implement this new requirement, it would take effect at the start of the next judicial term following the election after the local law is enacted. This means that any new requirements would apply to justices elected after the law is passed, providing a transition period. The bill is designed to potentially improve the legal expertise of local judges by ensuring they have professional legal credentials, though it does not universally mandate this requirement but instead allows individual towns and villages to make that choice for themselves.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7008