New York State Bar Association To Honor Six Retiring Justices for Their Service to New Yorkers

The New York State Bar Association is recognizing six retiring Appellate Court justices for their years of outstanding public service.

Chief Judge Rowan Wilson of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York will deliver a keynote address at the event. Several associate judges of Court of Appeals will also be at the dinner Jan. 13 in New York City as part of the association’s Annual Meeting.

Justice Jeffrey K. Oing, Appellate Division, First Department: He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2017 following a long career in state Supreme Court and New York County Civil Court. Justice Oing was born in Hong Kong and raised in East Harlem.

Justice Anil C. Singh, Appellate Division, First Department: He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2017 following years as an elected state Supreme Court judge and Civil Court judge in New York City. Justice Singh served as a presiding justice in the Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement Part. He is a native of India.

Justice Joseph J. Maltese, Appellate Division, Second Department: He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2014 following 18 years as a trial judge in New York Supreme Court in Richmond and Kings counties. Before coming to the bench, he was in private practice for 15 years, focusing on civil and criminal litigation.

Justice Robert J. Miller, Appellate Division, Second Department: He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2010 and has served on the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct since 2018. In 2024, the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Nassau County honored Justice Miller with the St. Thomas Moore award for his embodiment of the virtues of the Catholic faith in his professional and personal life.

Justice John C. Egan Jr., Appellate Division, Third Department: He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2010 following five years as a Supreme Court justice in Albany County. Justice Egan was elected to the Albany City Court in 1996 following 15 years in private practice.

Justice Michael C. Lynch, Appellate Division, Third Department: He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2014 following a career in public service as a State Supreme Court justice and the Albany County Attorney.

“Our judges are the last line of defense in this assault on the foundations of our democracy. We honor these six justices for their outstanding contribution to upholding the rule of law,” said New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet. “We will continue to support our judges and speak out against any threats against the judiciary.”

Honoring attorneys and judges who render extraordinary service to the public and the profession is part of NYSBA’s Annual Meeting tradition. This year’s event promises to be dynamic and informative, featuring a wide range of sessions and activities tailored to the diverse interests and needs of lawyers practicing in New York. Annual Meeting takes place Jan. 13 to 16 at the New York Hilton Midtown.

Highlights of Annual Meeting include the Presidential Gala celebrating the association’s 150th Anniversary. The gala is on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., at The Plaza Hotel. The association will honor Gov. Kathy Hochul – who is receiving the Gold Medal – and its past presidents at the gala.

The Presidential Summit, the marquee event of the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, is on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Panelists will discuss “The Case for Constitutional Failure,” focusing on whether the three branches of government have fulfilled their Constitutional duties.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jack Rakove of Stanford University and Yale University Rule of Law Clinic Co-Director, former Assistant United States Attorney, and January 6 Prosecutor Sonia Mittal will lead this important, timely conversation. Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNOW television anchor and commentator, will moderate the discussion.

For more information on NYSBA’s Annual Meeting, click here.