Lori Currier Woods at a glance
- Current role
- Acting Justice
- Current assignment
- New York Supreme Court, Orange County
- Jurisdiction
- New York · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Lori Currier Woods
Acting Justice · New York Supreme Court, Orange County
Biography
Professional career
- Acting Justice, New York Supreme Court, Orange County, NY, 2008-present
- Acting Justice, Orange County Supreme Court — serving since 2008, appointed by Chief Administrative Judge Ann Pfau
- Judge, New York Family Court, Orange County, NY, 2016-2025
- Judge, Orange County Family Court — elected in 2006, serving until the end of her term in 2025
- Judge, New York Family Court, Orange County, NY, 2006-2015
- Assistant District Attorney, Orange County District Attorney's Office, NY, 1985-1988
- Deputy District Attorney, Orange County District Attorney's Office, CA, 1984-1985
Education
- Southwestern University School of Law in — J.D. (1982)
- B.S. — State University of New York at Oneonta in 1979
Additional information
- Attorney/Consultant/Trainer, Children's Rights Society, 2002-2005
- Councilperson, Town of Monroe, Monroe, NY, 2002-2005
- Attorney/Law Guardian, Children's Rights Society, NY, 1997-2001
- Practitioner, Larkin & Axelrod, 1988-1992
- Practitioner, Law Offices of Minkin & Kohn, CA, 1983-1984
- BA — SUNY Oneonta — 1979
- Acting justice of the Orange County Supreme Court (9th Judicial District, New York) and a judge in the Orange County Family Court, with a career spanning public service, private practice, and legal advocacy
- Woods has served on multiple boards and committees, including the YMCA Board of Directors, Orange County Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties, and the Orange County Court Child Care Center Committee.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
New York statewide rules require permission before photographing, filming, videotaping, audiotaping, broadcasting, or telecasting in court facilities, including courtrooms.
Taking photographs, films or videotapes, or audiotaping, broadcasting or telecasting, in a courthouse including any courtroom, office or hallway thereof, at any time or on any occasion, whether or not the court is in session, is forbidden, unless permission of the Chief Administrator of the Courts or a designee of the Chief Administrator is first obtainedPart 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗
Exhibits
Statewide
The official Guide to New York Evidence identifies court control over presentation of evidence as a statewide evidence topic; counsel should expect the assigned judge to control the mode and order of proof.
1.07. COURT CONTROL OVER PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCEGuide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗
Published courtroom rules
Judge and named-part rules
Published judge / part rules (31 excerpts)
See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding.
Official rules document ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27
Communications with chambers
All written correspondence directed to the Court’s attention must be copied to all interested parties, including the Attorney for the Child. Otherwise, the Court will return the correspondence to the sender. Any correspondence sent to the Court should include a family file number or index number and a telephone number and / or address of the sender. The Court does not expect to be copied on correspondence between counsel and / or pro se litigants.
Source page 1Adjournments
All adjournments must be approved by the Court even where the parties / counsel have consented to the adjournment. Any request for an adjournment should be made in writing to the Court. Thus, a phone call will not suffice. Said request should be made no less than twenty-four hours in advance of the scheduled date and must indicate a good reason for why the adjournment has been requested, and whether other interested parties including the Attorney for the Child consent or object. Adjournment requests due to attorney engagement in another court must be made pursuant to 22 NYCRR §125.1. If the request for an adjournment involves a medical issue, a doctor’s note must be provided to the Court. Adjournment requests will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Source page 2Adjournments
If an adjournment request is granted, the requesting party must notify all interested parties, including the Attorney for the Child, of the adjourned date and send confirming notification of the new date. If written requests for an adjournment or confirmation of the adjournment are sent to chambers by fax original correspondence is NOT required to follow by mail.
Source page 2Adjournments
All petitions / Order to Show Cause must be filed with the Clerk’s office and not with chambers. If counsel is filing a petition / Order to Show Cause, the Court would ask that counsel include a list of dates that they are unavailable for a preliminary proceeding which is usually scheduled five to eight weeks from the filing date. This will assist with scheduling and hopefully avoid adjournment delays.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
Motions should be filed with the Clerk’s office and not with chambers. Self-addressed, stamped envelope must be submitted with all motions.
Source page 2Motion practice
There shall be compliance with the CPLR for bringing motions. A notice of motion should be filed with the motion papers. In the case of a discovery motion, an affirmation of good faith should also be included.
Source page 2Motion practice
Ordinarily, an appearance on a motion is not required. However, if an attorney is requesting an appearance on the motion this should be noted in the notice of motion. The Court, in its discretion, may schedule an appearance on the motion and if it does so will notify the parties of the appearance date / time.
Source page 3Motion practice
Do not send opposing or reply papers to the Clerk. They should be forwarded directly to Judge Currier Woods showing the motion return date at the top of the first page.
Source page 3Motion practice
A party moving to renew or reargue must attach copies of the papers submitted in connection with the underlying motion to the motion to renew or reargue.
Source page 3Motion practice
Summary judgment motions must be made no later than 60 days from the date of the filing of the Note of Issue or the motion will be denied.
Source page 3Motion practice
Motions in Limine shall be made returnable at least 15 days before the trial date.
Source page 3Courtroom conduct and technology
Generally speaking, the request for a mental health / forensic evaluation should be made as early as possible in a given case. Questions regarding payment should be addressed at the time of the request.
Source page 3Trial exhibits and witnesses
If a party requires the services of an interpreter, the Court should be notified as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made. This does take some time. Therefore, at least two weeks notice to the Court is required. Keep this in mind especially if a witness at trial will be in need of such assistance.
Source page 4Conferences and appearances
1. Trial dates should be viewed by parties and counsel as firm dates. Pre trial conferences will be scheduled. Parties and counsel are strongly encouraged to use these date(s) to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations. If a matter has not resolved at a pre-trial stage, the Court will endeavor to provide parties / counsel with a time frame for the trial date.
Source page 4Conferences and appearances
4. In Family Court matters only, the Court will call all matters ready for trial at 9:30 a.m. on the 1st Monday of a two-week trial term. At this time, the Court will accept settlements on the record or consent orders executed by all the necessary parties / counsel. If a matter has not resolved, parties / counsel will be given a trial date and time. Older cases, especially those with a petition filed more than six months prior, will be given a sooner trial date. Supreme Court trials (including IDV trials) will take place on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., or as otherwise calendared by the Court.
Source page 4Motion practice
a. Discovery Counsel should make a good faith effort to resolve discovery issues before advising the Court of any problem. A motion regarding a discovery issue should include an affirmation of good faith so as to recite what efforts have been made to resolve the problem. In general, parties should comply with the CPLR in conducting discovery.
Source page 5Trial exhibits and witnesses
Subpoena duces tecum shall be made returnable to the Clerk of the Court at 9:00 a.m. three days before the beginning of the trial. Counsel and pro se litigants will be allowed pre trial inspection of the subpoenaed material. No foundation witness is necessary if the party / counsel comply with CPLR §2307 and §3122-a.
Source page 5Motion practice
c. Exhibits All exhibits should be pre-marked for identification prior to commencement of the trial. Mental health / forensic evaluations ordered by the Court will be admitted into evidence on consent, subject to cross-examination or upon motion of the court. Any party who wishes to cross-examine the forensic evaluator, as permitted by the Uniform Rules, shall bear the cost of the his or her services in preparing such testimony, traveling and testifying unless the Court directs otherwise prior to commencement of the evaluator’s services.
Source page 5Filing and working copies
The above submissions shall be made in writing and received in the office of opposing counsel(s) and the Attorney for the Child (or the residence of a self-represented litigant) by 5:00 p.m. two days before the first trial date.
Source page 6Trial exhibits and witnesses
Before trial, each party shall permit the other party to inspect and copy all exhibits that a party intends to offer into evidence. If any witness reviews any notes, reports, memoranda, statements or the like, in preparation for his / her testimony, those materials must be brought to court by that witness.
Source page 6Discovery
e. Identification of Deposition Testimony Counsel for the parties shall consult prior to trial and shall in good faith attempt to agree upon the portions of deposition testimony to be offered into evidence without objection. The parties shall delete from the testimony to be read questions and answers that are irrelevant to the point for which the testimony is offered. Each party shall prepare a list of testimony to be offered by it as to which objection has not been made and, identified separately and clearly, a list of testimony as to which objection has been made.
Source page 6Trial exhibits and witnesses
At least five days prior to trial, each party shall submit its list to the Court and other counsel, together with a copy of the portions of testimony as to which objections have been made. The Court will rule upon the objections at the earliest possible time after consultation with counsel.
Source page 6Conferences and appearances
f. Settlement Proposals Ten days prior to trial, each party must file a written settlement proposal with opposing counsel. Failure to do so may result in sanctions.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
g. Witness Scheduling Witnesses should be present on the trial date. Professional witnesses such as doctors, nurses, case workers, teachers, counselors, and police officers will be permitted to testify out of order to accommodate their employment schedules. School teachers should be scheduled after 3:00 p.m. to eliminate the need for the school to call in a substitute teacher for the entire day.
Source page 7Trial exhibits and witnesses
Last minute claims that a witness is unavailable will not be acceptable, especially where a trial date has been set well in advance, absent unanticipated and exigent circumstances.
Source page 7Filing and working copies
The part clerk will provide counsel with a date for submission of the proposed order. If the proposed order can not be submitted by this date, a phone call or letter should be directed to the Court so that a new date can be provided. All proposed orders submitted to the Court should include a self- addressed, stamped envelope.
Source page 7Conferences and appearances
All orders or judgments, including counter-orders and judgments, submitted for signature on notice will be returned unsigned unless an affidavit of service of same and Notice of Settlement for a date designated in accordance with 22 NYCRR 202.48 have been included.
Source page 8Conferences and appearances
Counsel shall be familiar with and shall comply with the provisions of 22 NYCRR 202.16. Prior to the preliminary conference, the parties shall file and exchange those documents set forth in 22 NYCRR 202.16(f)(1) including net worth statements, paycheck stubs, W-2 statements, tax returns and statements of account.
Source page 8Conferences and appearances
Parties shall appear at all matrimonial conferences unless otherwise directed by the court.
Source page 8Trial exhibits and witnesses
Each party must file a statement of proposed disposition (22 NYCRR 202.16[h]) no later than 3 days prior to trial.
Source page 9Motion practice
All motions seeking pendente lite relief must be submitted in writing.
Source page 9Shared court rules
22 NYCRR Part 200 — Uniform Rules Courts Exercising Criminal Jurisdiction
Orange County Supreme Court
State criminal proceedings only; section-specific court and case exceptions remain applicable.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-2722 NYCRR Part 202 — Uniform Civil Rules Supreme Court And County Court
Orange County Supreme Court
Civil actions and proceedings only; section-specific and specialized-part restrictions remain applicable.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Orange County Supreme Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Orange County Supreme Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
New York Supreme Court, Orange County current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View New York Supreme Court, Orange County current judicial profile ↗Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗