Honorable Bernadette T. Clark

Bernadette T. Clark is a New York State Supreme Court Justice in the 5th Judicial District of New York, having been elected to a 14-year term in November 2005. A lifelong resident of Oneida County, she presides over numerous civil cases in the county. Judge Clark was a leader in bringing the Integrated Domestic Violence Court to Supreme Court in Oneida County and presided over that court for three years. She served five years as Oneida County Family Court Judge, from 2001-2005, and was the Oneida County First Assistant District Attorney from 1994-2000. Judge Clark was the first woman to serve in each of these positions. She received her bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame in 1974, Cum Laude, and her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University School of Law in 1989, Magna Cum Laude. She was admitted to the New York State Bar, Appellate Division, Fourth Department in 1990. 

Judge Clark’s other professional credentials include having worked in the labor and litigation department of Bond, Schoeneck & King in Syracuse from 1989 until 1992. She also joined Petrone & Petrone, PC in Utica as a trial attorney for one year until she was appointed as First Assistant District Attorney. Examples of Judge Clark’s involvement with law, community and philanthropic-related activities are almost too numerous to mention. Judge Clark has been honored by several organizations, having served on many community boards, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Utica, the Mohawk Valley Performing Arts, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Oneida County Bar Association, and since 2011, she’s been a Trustee of Utica College. Judge Clark was the recipient of the New York State Governor’s 2001 Justice Award to End Domestic Violence and was nominated by the Fifth Judicial District as the Distinguished Jurist for 2012. 

Judge Clark is married to Utica businessman and Utica College Emeritus Trustee, Tom Clark. They live in the Town of New Hartford in Oneida County.