New York State Bar Association To Honor Court of Appeals Judge Michael Garcia
6.3.2025
Court of Appeals Associate Judge Michael Garcia will receive the Honorable George Bundy Smith Pioneer Award from the New York State Bar Association in recognition of his commitment to justice and public service.
“For his work as U.S. Attorney investigating and prosecuting high-profile terrorism cases and his distinguished service on the bench, we are proud to present Judge Garcia with this honor,” said Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association.
Judge Garcia is being recognized by the association’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section in a ceremony from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at the Southern District of New York courthouse at 500 Pearl St. in New York City.
The Honorable George Bundy Smith Pioneer Award acknowledges those in the legal profession who have demonstrated a commitment to legal excellence, community service and mentoring. It is named after the trailblazing former Court of Appeals Associate Judge George Bundy Smith.
Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals in 2016, Judge Garcia worked for the federal government in various roles, including serving in the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Before the ceremony, there will be a free continuing legal education program that will explore the legal and practical implications of the use of artificial intelligence tools and the potential for diversity bias. The panelists will be Chris Everdell, partner at Cohen & Gresser; Sylvie Levine, deputy director of the Federal Defenders of New York; Eddie Nasser, head of legal and product lead at Paxton AI; and Ivie Serioux, shareholder at Littler Mendelson.
The discussion will be followed by a reception to honor Judge Garcia. Journalists are invited to attend but must contact Rebecca Melnitsky at rmelnitsky@nysba.org.
