Judicial Section

Hon. Brian D. Burns

NYSBA Judicial Section Presiding Member for the 2025-2026 term, Hon. Brian D. Burns, is a Supreme Court Justice in Otsego County.  Justice Burns was first elected to serve as Otsego County, Family, and Surrogate Court Judge in 2001.  He was appointed to serve as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in 2008 and elected to Supreme Court in 2020.   Prior to becoming a judge, he served as the Otsego County Acting District Attorney and Oneonta City Prosecutor. As a prosecutor, he established the Otsego County Violence Intervention program, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Over the course of his judicial career, Justice Burns has participated in or presided over countless jury and non-jury trials in Supreme, County, Family, and Surrogate’s Courts.  He is currently the longest serving trial judge in the NYS 6^th Judicial District. He has served on various court-related Boards and Committees, including the Advisory Committee for the Attorney for Children’s Office for the Appellate Division, Third Department, the 6^th Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee and Committee on Equal Justice in the Courts, the Otsego County Alternatives to Incarceration program, the Otsego County Court Children’s Center, the New York State Family Violence Advisory Committee and NYSBA’s governing body, the House of Delegates. He currently Chairs NYSBA’s Judicial Section and the Otsego County Supreme Court Law Library. From 2008 to 2021, he was a Supervising Judge for Town and Village Courts in the 6^th Judicial District, overseeing over 50 local courts and approximately 125 local judges.

Justice Burns has presided over Problem Solving Courts for over 20 years, including a felony level Adult Treatment Court, Family Treatment Court, Opioid Intervention Court, and Integrated Domestic Violence Court. In 2017, he received a William J. Fulbright award to teach a seminar at the Dublin City University Law School in Ireland on Treatment Courts.  In 2024, the Fulbright Commission in Ireland awarded him an additional grant to produce a webinar on how courts can act as agents of social change by promoting initiatives to support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  He also has served on the Board of Directors of the New York Association of Treatment Court Professionals.

Justice Burns has taught various law related courses as an Adjunct Professor at Hartwick College for many years and has been a regular guest lecturer at SUNY Oneonta, Syracuse University, and the Otsego County Law Enforcement Academy.  Justice Burns also has the distinction of being the first licensed bee-keeper in the City of Oneonta