Appellate Division, First Department · September 29, 2026 · 2026 NY Slip Op 05467
Matter of New York Civ. Liberties Union v New York State Off. of Ct. Admin.
Read the official decision: 2026 NY Slip Op 05467
Holding The Office of Court Administration failed to demonstrate the existence of an attorney-client relationship between its Counsel’s Office and all Unified Court System judges to justify withholding documents under FOIL. The court affirmed the lower court’s order compelling the disclosure of the 22 records submitted for in camera review.
The court’s words
OCA has not demonstrated the existence of an attorney-client relationship between Counsel's Office and all UCS judges that would protect the submitted documents.
2026 NY Slip Op 05467, at the official text
OCA's policy arguments conflate attorney-client confidentiality with the distinct but equally important confidentiality of judicial deliberations, which flows not from an attorney-client relationship.
2026 NY Slip Op 05467, at the official text
| Court | Appellate Division, First Department |
|---|---|
| Decided | September 29, 2026 |
| Citation | 2026 NY Slip Op 05467 |
| Area of law | Freedom of Information Law |
| Week | Week ending October 3, 2026 |
| Official text | Official decision: 2026 NY Slip Op 05467 |
| Publication status | Slip opinions are uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports. |
| Source feed | New York slip opinion page |
| Law Watch record id | 642 |
Recommended citation
ESQ HQ, New York Law Watch, Matter of New York Civ. Liberties Union v New York State Off. of Ct. Admin., 2026 NY Slip Op 05467 (Appellate Division, First Department, September 29, 2026), https://esqhq.com/decisions/2026-ny-slip-op-05467/
How this record was made
Holding drafted by Law Watch’s in-house model, graded by three reviewers; every quotation verified word for word against the official text.
Read how Law Watch works