Rude NYC judge resigns amid misconduct probe, lands job at top corporate law firm

A longtime New York City judge accused of threatening staffers and displaying rude, unprofessional behavior has quietly resigned from the bench and secured a private-sector role at a top Manhattan law firm. Former Justice Louis Nock, who had served on benches in Manhattan and Brooklyn since 2015, resigned after the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct opened an inquiry into the complaints.

The commission said the complaints, filed in 2024 and 2025, found that Nock often acted in a rude, demeaning and otherwise unprofessional manner toward court staff, and that he threatened to file formal grievance complaints against staffers unless charges were dropped, and even threatened a witness with a criminal complaint. The panel also examined whether he had impermissibly provided out-of-state legal services while serving as a full-time judge and whether he used the title justice and a personal email address to advance private interests. Nock, who had most recently served as a Manhattan Civil Court judge, had also drawn criticism from a fellow civil court judge who questioned his handling of a psychiatric evaluation request in another matter.

Nock resigned effective after Labor Day as part of a resolution with the commission, and agreed that he would neither seek nor accept judicial office in the future. In his resignation letter, he said the career had been the greatest honor of his life and that he looked forward to spending more time with his wife, three children and eight grandchildren.

On Monday, Anderson Kill announced that the former judge had joined the firm as a shareholder and member of its corporate and commercial litigation group. Nock's attorney said there was no basis for the complaints and that he had been aiming to transition to private practice long before any issues were raised; the move to a leading private firm marks a new chapter in his legal career.

Nock's career included service in Criminal Court as recently as last year, and his departure comes as the state continues to scrutinize judicial conduct and the path from public service to private practice. The case illustrates ongoing concerns about ethics and accountability among judges and how disciplinary actions intersect with career opportunities in the private sector.

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