About Judge Kennedy-Smith
- 10 years of experience working in Tompkins County Court as Principal Court Attorney to Hon. Joseph R. Cassidy, County Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice
- 5 years of judicial experience as Town Justice for the Town of Lansing
- 15 years of experience as a public interest lawyer
- A seasoned litigator and appellate attorney, primarily representing low-income children, families, criminal defendants, and other under-represented groups
- 10 years as Principal Court Attorney to County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice (What is a court attorney?)
- 10 years as a member of the Tompkins County Treatment Court Team
- 10 years as a criminal defense attorney at the trial and appellate levels before joining Tompkins County Court
- 7 years as an attorney for children in Family Court before joining Tompkins County Court
- 7 years representing parents on hundreds of cases in all types of Family Court matters
- 8 years as a poverty law attorney in New York City and at LawNY, providing civil legal services to people who cannot afford an attorney
- Managed thousands of cases in Family Court, Criminal Court, Surrogates Court, and Integrated Domestic Violence Court
- Has written hundreds of County Court decisions for Family, Criminal, and Surrogate’s Court
- Well-versed in every area of the law in Tompkins County Court
- Demonstrated ability to keep up with Tompkins County Court’s heavy and complex caseload
- Familiar with the day-to-day business and routines of Tompkins County Court
- Attorney of record in dozens of appellate cases in New York State and Federal Court
- 5 years as Town Justice in one of Tompkins County’s busiest town courts, handling the same types of cases that are heard in Ithaca City Court
- Presided over thousands of criminal cases, civil cases and trials
- Has written dozens of criminal court decisions and orders as Town Justice
- Statewide Co-Chair of the Children’s Rights Committee of the NYS Women’s Bar Association
- Member, Executive Committee the Tompkins County Access to Justice Initiative
- Chaired the Housing Subcommittee for Tompkins County Access to Justice, which created an integrated landlord-tenant court in Ithaca City Court
- Taught Family Law as an Adjunct Professor at TC3
- Serves on TC3’s Paralegal Advisory Committee
- Served on Tompkins County Family Court Advisory Committee
- Member of Tompkins County Bar Association and Finger Lakes Women’s Bar Association
- Former Board Member for Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) and the Women’s Opportunity Center
- Integrated Domestic Violence Court Stakeholder
- Member of the Raise the Age working group that developed Tompkins County’s Raise the Age Implementation Plan for youthful offenders
- Member of the Supervised Visitation Statewide Task Force
- Part of a working group seeking funding to implement a supervised visitation and exchange center in Tompkins County
- Member, New York State Association of Treatment Court Professionals
- Member, Tompkins County Magistrates Association
- Girls’ Softball Coach, Lansing Recreation
- Coach, Lansing Library Lego League
Why I Am Running
a message from Judge Kennedy-Smith
- Should a person convicted of a crime be sentenced to jail, or would alternatives to incarceration be better for our community?
- Which parent will a child live with?
- Can placing a child in foster care be avoided?
- How can we better protect families from intimate partner violence?
I weigh each of these difficult decisions with great care, understanding that what I do on the bench isn’t just a legal decision, it is a decision which impacts the lives of real people. No human being is a number to me, which is why I treat each case with the gravity and care it deserves. Whether working with families in county court or defendants in town court, I work hard to be prepared, fair, compassionate and kind to every person who appears in front of me.
I have an extensive background in criminal law, serving 11 years as a defense attorney, in the courtroom and at the appellate level. I brought cases that set important precedent in New York State and have worked on dozens of high-level felony jury trials.
Throughout my legal career, I have worked hard to address pressing issues we face, such as children’s welfare, intimate partner violence, and substance use. During my 25 years of experience in the courts, I have witnessed the transformative impact a compassionate and skilled judge can have. That is the Judge I strive to be, a judge committed to due process for all to ensure fair and just outcomes.
Equal representation on the bench is important. Presently we have three County Court Judges. None are women. The bench should reflect the demographics of our community. Having judges with comparable lived experiences to those who appear in County Court makes people appearing in court feel represented, respected, seen and heard. As a mother, and someone who already has spent 17 years in Family Court, I know many of the cases will be hard to hear, but I would be honored to lend both my legal and lived experience to this critical process.
I hope you will vote to make me the first woman elected to the Tompkins County bench in over 30 years. I am ready to assume this important responsibility from day one, and believe my legal background and lived experience makes me the right woman for the job.
What Is a Court Attorney?
and why does it matter that Judge Kennedy-Smith served as one?
In short, a court attorney is the judge’s right hand. When the judge is on the bench, his or her court attorney works behind the scenes reviewing court documents and advising the judge about the case. Court attorneys conduct extensive legal research for their judges and counsel them on the law. Court attorneys may draft many of the judge’s decisions and orders for the judge’s review and approval. A court attorney may conduct pretrial conferences for the judge in an effort to settle cases, determine pre-trial legal issues, or resolve immediate issues in the case. Court attorneys also manage the scheduling of deadlines for motions, briefs and trials, “moving the case along” to ensure the swift and efficient provision of justice.
Maura performs all of these duties in Tompkins County Court on a daily basis as the Principal Court Attorney for Judge Cassidy.
About the Courts
Tompkins County Court is a multi-bench court.
As Principal Court Attorney, Maura manages cases in Family Court, Felony-Level Criminal Court, Surrogates Court, Supreme Court, Tompkins County Treatment Court (for felony-level cases) and Family Treatment Court.
Lansing Town Court is one of Tompkins County’s busiest town courts.
Judge Kennedy-Smith presides over misdemeanor and violation-level criminal offenses, traffic tickets, landlord/tenant proceedings, small claims, and local law violations. She conducts felony arraignments and preliminary hearings before such cases are transferred to Tompkins County Court.