Hon. George M. Heymann

Honorable George M. Heymann is Of Counsel to Finz & Finz, P.C., and joined the firm after serving with distinction for more than 20 years as a Judge of the New York City Civil Court, Housing Part. Known for his exemplary writing skills, Judge Heymann has more than 85 published legal decisions, of which more than one-third were selected for publication by the New York State Reporter. With an outstanding appellate record, his decisions, many of which were novel and precedential, have been cited by the Appellate Divisions, Appellate Terms, and the Supreme, Civil and Housing Courts. Judge Heymann has been honored with the “Judiciary Award of Merit in Recognition of [his] Efforts to Make Kings County a Better Place to Practice Law” by the Kings County Housing Court Bar Association. Immediately prior to ascending the bench, Judge Heymann served for 10 years as a Principal Law Clerk to Justices sitting in both the Civil and Criminal terms of the New York State Supreme Court in Queens County.

In addition to being a part of Finz & Finz, P.C., Judge Heymann is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and a Certified Supreme Court Mediator. A noted author and lecturer on the law, his numerous articles have appeared in bar association bulletins and the New York Law Journal. He is also the recipient of numerous awards for his professional and community service.

Judge Heymann began his legal career as Counsel for the New York State Association for Retarded Children where he authored New York’s first “Advocates Guide to New York State Education Laws for the Mentally Retarded and Other Developmental Disabilities.” He appeared in federal and state courts on behalf of those who were in large state institutions such as Willowbrook and Wassaic, and fought for better educational facilities and programs for those who were determined to be “educable.” He quickly became a sought-after lecturer on the rights of mentally challenged and developmentally disabled individuals throughout New York State.

Thereafter, Judge Heymann was appointed as an Assistant District Attorney by former District Attorney John J. Santucci. Recognizing Judge Heymann’s talent for research and writing, he was immediately assigned to the Appeals Bureau where he briefed and argued cases before the Appellate Division, Second Department. While in the D.A.’s office, Judge Heymann was solicited to become a Counsel and Administrative Law Judge for the New York City Department of Transportation. He left that position after a year when he was offered the position of Principal Law Clerk in Queens Supreme Court.

With a love for teaching and mentoring, Judge Heymann became an instructor for the Queens College Paralegal Studies Program, where he taught classes for 16 consecutive years, courses that included Legal Research and Writing, Civil Litigation and Basic Concepts of Law. In recognition of his profound ability to connect with his students, Judge Heymann became the first-ever recipient of the program’s “Excellence in Teaching” award.

Judge Heymann has been an active member of his community, serving 15 consecutive years on his local Community Boards and has served as the trustee of his synagogue for over 20 years.

In addition, Judge Heymann is a member of the Queens County Bar Association, Queens County Women’s Bar Association, Brandeis Association (former President) and New York State Bar Association.

Judge Heymann received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), where he was on the Dean’s List and served as President of the Student Association. He also minored in education and received his permanent certification to teach Social Studies in secondary schools.

As a student at New York Law School, Judge Heymann was elected as Vice President of the Student Bar Association and was the recipient of the first-ever Dean E. Donald Shapiro Award for Student Leadership, the Student Bar Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Law School Community and the West Publishing Company Annual Corpus Juris Secundum Award for the Most Significant Contribution to Legal Scholarship. After graduating, Judge Heymann served for over a decade as Director of the school’s Alumni Association.

Bar Admissions

• New York

Education

• New York Law School
  • Juris Doctor
• State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)
  • Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

Honors and Awards

• Judiciary Award of Merit, Kings County Housing Court Bar Association
• Annual Corpus Juris Secundum Award for the Most Significant Contribution to Legal Scholarship, West Publishing Company
• First-ever recipient of the “Excellence in Teaching” award, Queens College Paralegal Studies Program
• Dean E. Donald Shapiro Award for Student Leadership, New York Law School
• Student Bar Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Law School Community, New York Law School

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Adjunct Professor of Law, Maurice A. Deane School of Law, Hofstra University
• Professor, Queens College Paralegal Studies Program
• Former President, Brandeis Association
• New York State Bar Association
• Queens County Bar Association
• Queens County Women’s Bar Association
• Former Director, Alumni Association, New York Law School
• Vice President of the Student Bar Association, New York Law School