Justice Joseph E. Lamendola was elected to the New York State Supreme Court, Fifth Judicial District in 2019. He also served as an Acting Village Court Justice for the village of Canton from 2000 to 2005.
Justice Lamendola received his B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 1978. Thereafter, he completed an LL.B. (1982) from Cardiff University and an LL.M. in Admiralty Law (1983) from Tulane University School of Law.
Upon graduation from law school, he received an officer’s commission and served as a Staff Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force from 1984 to 1988. After completing his active- duty commission, he transferred to the New York Air National Guard, where he continued to serve first with the 174th Attack Wing, Syracuse, New York and thereafter with Headquarters NYANG, Latham, New York for twenty-six years. At his retirement in 2009, Judge Lamendola held the rank of full colonel.
He began his civilian legal career with the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office in 1988, where he served as a senior assistant district attorney. Justice Lamendola was appointed the Corporation Counsel for the City of Syracuse and served from 1995 until 1999.
Justice Lamendola also maintained his own law practice, with an emphasis in the areas of family law, business litigation, estate planning, education law, and military law. In addition, he served as general counsel to the Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association (2009 to 2019). He represented public education unions and public-school administrators in contract negotiations, grievances, and unfair labor practices before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board.
Justice Lamendola also served as an external director with the Veterans Legal Clinic at the Syracuse University College of Law, where he provided legal counsel to veterans in need of assistance filing VA claims. Justice Lamendola volunteered as an arbitrator for the Attorney- Client Fee Dispute Resolution Program for the Fifth Judicial District. He also served on the Appellate Division, Fourth Department Grievance Committee (chairman) and the United States Service Academy Nominating Committee. Additionally, he was a board member of the Onondaga County Bar Foundation and the Onondaga County Bar Association.
Currently, Justice Lamendola is the Co-Chair of the Gender Bias/Gender Fairness Committee for the Fifth Judicial District. He is also a member of the St. Lawrence County Bar Association, Onondaga County Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.