--- title: "Thomas James McAvoy | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Thomas James McAvoy U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York - State: New York - Role: Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, N.D. New York, 1986-2003 - Chief Judge: held the role of Chief Judge of the Northern District of New York from 1993 to 2000 - Began his legal career in private practice in Binghamton, NY from 1964 to 1985, later founding his own law firm in 1969 - Senior judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York - Official court site: Northern District of New York Judge Biographies ### Education - A.B. from Villanova University in 1960 and his J.D. from Albany Law School in 1964. ### Additional information - While still listed as a senior judge, McAvoy’s recent activity is unclear; some sources note he has been inactive as of 2026 - Member, Broome County [New York] Legislature, 1971-1986 - He also held the role of a member of the Broome County Legislature from 1971 to 1986 - Private practice, Binghamton, New York, 1964-1985 - Born September 17, 1938, in Johnson City, New York. - Date of birth: 1938-01-01 - Birth place: Johnson City, NY ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384501) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384501) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384501) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2098/thomas-james-mcavoy/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2098/thomas-james-mcavoy/) - [Judge Thomas James McAvoy](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384501) - [Wikidata: Thomas James McAvoy](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16104926) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy", "name": "Thomas James McAvoy | KnowJudges", "description": "Thomas James McAvoy, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy#judge", "name": "Thomas James McAvoy", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384501", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2098/thomas-james-mcavoy/" ], "birthDate": "1938", "birthPlace": "Johnson City, NY", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Villanova University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Albany Law School" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "New York", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/new-york" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas James McAvoy", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-james-mcavoy" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 1 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 244 | 216 | 5.1 | 216 | | 10y | 944 | 912 | 6 | 912 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Northern District of New York — Local Rules of Practice](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/ny-shared-set-f70dbd16330454aeb2c4) — NDNY federal district-court proceedings only; preserve civil, criminal and specialized-section limits. [Official source](https://www.nynd.uscourts.gov/sites/nynd/files/local_rules/Local%20Rules%202026_Final.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.