Judge Francine R. Vero Continuing Legal Education Co-Chairperson
Francine Vero is the first woman to serve as Saratoga Springs City Court Judge. She presides over a variety of civil and criminal cases and the specialized Domestic Violence Compliance Court. All civil and domestic violence matters that come before the Court are assigned to Judge Vero. She adjudicates residential and commercial landlord/tenant eviction proceedings and general civil, small claims and consumer claims trials. Judge Vero also handles the DWI, vehicle and traffic and parking enforcement calendars as well as felony arraignments.
Judge Vero earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Providence College in 2003. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Albany Law School in 2006. While attending law school she served as the Managing Editor for Business for the Albany Law Environmental Outlook Journal, was a member of the Women’s Law Caucus and volunteered at Mercy House Domestic Violence Shelter for Women and Children.
After graduating from law school, Judge Vero began her career as a trial attorney practicing a wide range of complex litigation with a focus on business law. Judge Vero has experience in handling trials, evidentiary hearings and special proceedings. She has litigated in numerous Supreme Courts throughout the State, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York and various City Courts. She has also prepared appeals and successfully argued before the Appellate Division, Third Department. Prior to becoming a judge, she was senior counsel with Harris Beach PLLC, one of the country’s top law firms. She was a member of Harris Beach’s Corporate and Business and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups and worked at the firm’s Saratoga Springs office.
Judge Vero is a member of the New York State Association of City Court Judges and Federal and New York State Association of Women Judges. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation, Board of Directors of the Saratoga County Bar Association and is a Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) Chairperson for the Adirondack Women’s Bar Association.
Throughout her career, Judge Vero has been committed to professional and civic activities. She served two terms as President of the Adirondack Women’s Bar Association (“AWBA”) from 2014 through 2016. In 2016 she served as Immediate Past President, in 2013 as Vice President and from 2011 through 2013 as CLE Chairperson. She organized and officiated the AWBA Go Red for Women fundraiser to benefit the American Heart Association in 2015 and 2016, volunteered for the Association’s legal clinic to aid survivors of domestic violence and organized and moderated the CLE “Preventing and Defending against Workplace Harassment Claims and Labor Law Ethics.” In 2017 she received an award from the Adirondack Women’s Bar Association for her commitment to the organization and to the legal community.
She was a member of the Board of Directors of Wellspring (formerly Domestic Violence Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County) from 2012 through 2015 and volunteered for the organization in 2016. She served as a Committee Chairperson of the Saratoga County Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Committee from 2012 through 2013 and as Co-Chairperson of the Association’s Memorial Committee in 2011. Judge Vero was selected to participate in and graduated from the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Saratoga Program and is a member of the Class of 2012. From 2006 through 2008 she served on the Associate Board of Directors of Parson’s Child and Family Center.
