Governor David A. Paterson last week appointed Jeffrey A. Cohen to the Appellate Division, Second Department. A graduate of Rutgers School of Law, Justice Cohen (See Profile) now serves as a Supreme Court Justice in Westchester County, a position which he has held since Jan. 1. From 2008-2009, he served as an acting justice. Before that, Justice Cohen spent three years as a county court judge and was a town justice in Yorktown for 17 years. Before joining the bench, he worked at the Legal Aid Society as a felony trial attorney, was a founding partner of Cohen, Timko & Moses in White Plains and served as chair of the Westchester County Board of Ethics. His appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation. Justice Cohen replaces Justice Howard Miller, who stepped down last year due to mandatory retirement. Appellate Division justices earn $144,000 annually. — Noeleen G. Walder

Lawyer Loses Bid to Lift Ban From Practicing Before SEC

A federal judge last week denied a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sought by an attorney who was barred last month from practicing before the agency.