S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7189
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, ZINERMAN, DAVILA, EPSTEIN,
   WEPRIN, HYNDMAN, SHIMSKY, TAYLOR -- read  once  and  referred  to  the
   Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  uniform justice court act, the town law and the
   village law, in relation to requiring town  and  village  justices  be
   admitted to practice law in the state

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 105 of the uniform justice court act is amended  by
 adding a new subdivision (a-1) to read as follows:
   (A-1)  EDUCATION.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE
 CONTRARY, NO PERSON MAY SERVE AS A TOWN OR VILLAGE JUSTICE IN A TOWN  OR
 VILLAGE  UNLESS  THEY  ARE  AN ATTORNEY ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THIS
 STATE FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AS OF THE DATE THEY COMMENCE THE DUTIES OF
 OFFICE.  NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, NON-ATTORNEY JUSTICES IN  OFFICE
 AS  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL REMAIN ELIGIBLE TO
 SERVE AS A JUSTICE FOR THE COURT ON WHICH THEY  CURRENTLY  SIT  FOR  THE
 REMAINDER OF THEIR TERM.
   § 2. Section 31 of the town law is amended by adding a new subdivision
 2-a to read as follows:
   2-A.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, NO
 PERSON MAY SERVE AS A TOWN JUSTICE UNLESS THEY ARE AN ATTORNEY  ADMITTED
 TO  PRACTICE  LAW  IN  THIS STATE FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AS OF THE DATE
 THEY COMMENCE THE DUTIES OF  OFFICE.    NOTWITHSTANDING  THE  FOREGOING,
 NON-ATTORNEY  JUSTICES IN OFFICE AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDI-
 VISION SHALL REMAIN ELIGIBLE TO SERVE AS A  JUSTICE  FOR  THE  COURT  ON
 WHICH THEY CURRENTLY SIT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TERM.
   §  3.  Section  3-301  of  the  village law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF  LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  NO
 PERSON MAY SERVE AS A VILLAGE JUSTICE UNLESS THEY ARE AN ATTORNEY ADMIT-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11045-01-5
              

 A. 7189                             2
 
 TED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THIS STATE FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AS OF THE DATE
 THEY  COMMENCE  THE  DUTIES  OF OFFICE.   NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING,
 NON-ATTORNEY JUSTICES IN OFFICE AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS  SUBDI-
 VISION  SHALL  REMAIN  ELIGIBLE  TO  SERVE AS A JUSTICE FOR THE COURT ON
 WHICH THEY CURRENTLY SIT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TERM.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.