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Local Lansing attorney Maura Kennedy-Smith is the Democratic candidate for Lansing Town Justice. With nineteen years experience in the law, Kennedy-Smith currently serves as the Principal Court Attorney to the Honorable Joseph R. Cassidy, Tompkins County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice. She has handled cases in family law, housing law, criminal law, and other practice areas.
"Though I have experience in many areas of the law, I have always focused on giving back to my community. Making a difference is what motivated me to go into law. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with my community as Lansing Town Justice," she enthusiastically stated.
Kennedy-Smith has extensive experience as part of the criminal justice system. "I have represented hundreds of clients, including criminal defendants, landlords and tenants and in Lansing Town Court as well the other courts in Tompkins County and throughout the state. My experience with the court system has not only given me a working knowledge of the law, but familiarity with various services and programs available to help individuals who find themselves in court. Very often, a young person's first contact with the criminal justice system is in a local town justice court. I will direct them to the needed services which will reduce their chance of recidivism and set them on the right path."
"Town Justice should not be a political position," Kennedy-Smith stresses, "Above all, judges must treat everyone fairly. They must know and follow the law and the strict ethical standards required of judges and judicial candidates. A good temperament is also important. In addition to my skills and knowledge, I will bring fairness, honesty and integrity to the bench. Though being in court is routine for attorneys, when I conduct pretrial conferences, I always keep in mind that it can be a scary and stressful experience for anyone unfamiliar with the process. I pride myself in being able to put people at ease, letting them feel they are being heard, and helping them walk out of the courthouse believing that the process was fair."
A native of Tompkins County, Kennedy-Smith received a B.A. from Cornell University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. Upon returning to Tompkins County in 2000, Kennedy-Smith served as a Staff Attorney at Tompkins Tioga Neighborhood Legal Services prior to starting her own full-time practice of law in 2006. She then worked as a sole practitioner and partner in a general practice law firm before accepting the appointment as Judge Cassidy's Court Attorney in 2014.
In addition to her job with the courts, Kennedy-Smith serves as an adjunct professor in Tompkins Cortland Community College's Paralegal Studies Program, coached second graders in the Lansing Lego League, and coached third and fourth grade girls' softball for LSP. She and her husband have resided in Lansing for five years and have two children in the Lansing Schools.
Kennedy-Smith will be on the November 6, 2018 ballot in Lansing.
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