John Walter Dreste
On the New York attorney register since 1985 · office in Rochester, NY
PlainAttorney’s reading of the public register file, not a court record.
- Registration No.
- 1966175
- Admitted
- 1985 · Fourth Department
- Status
- Currently registered
- Next registration
- Jan 2027
John Walter Dreste is currently registered on the New York attorney register file of Sep 29, 2026. Admitted in 1985 in the Fourth Department, with an office in Rochester, NY; next registration due Jan 2027. The status is the same in all 3 files we hold.
What this status means on the register
On the register, “Currently registered” means John Walter Dreste has filed the biennial registration the court system requires; the next one is due in Jan 2027.
- Currently registered unchanged
- Currently registered unchanged
- Currently registered the first file we hold
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; the Jul 3, 2026 and Aug 6, 2026 files for the history.
Others who list this employer on the register
9 other attorneys list Ernstrom & Dreste LLP or one of its other names as their employer on the register; 0 of them were admitted before 1985, and all 10 give an office in Rochester, NY. The 5 whose admission is closest to 1985, earliest first:
| Attorney | Admitted | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nell M. Hurley | 1985 | Currently registered |
| Martha Anne Connolly | 1990 | Due to re‑register |
| Brian Joseph Geary | 1990 | Currently registered |
| Todd R. Braggins | 1991 | Currently registered |
| Kevin Francis Peartree | 1991 | Currently registered |
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; employer spellings merged (methodology).
Where this record sits on the register
John Walter Dreste studied at University at Buffalo School of Law (SUNY) (the register spells it “UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO”). 1,918 of its 9,828 living graduates on the register were admitted in the 1980s, as John Walter Dreste was.
- Same law school
- 9,828living graduates; 90.9% registered (current or due), against 87.1% overall
- Office in Rochester, NY
- 2,353living registrants
Of the 2,353 living registrants with an office in Rochester, NY, 383 were admitted before 1985 and 1,930 after.
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; living registrants only.
Questions this record leads to
- Everyone who lists Ernstrom & Dreste LLP10 on the register, 0 of the others admitted before 1985; all 10 give an office in Rochester, NY.
- University at Buffalo School of Law (SUNY) graduates on the register9,828 living, 90.9% registered.
- Attorneys with an office in Rochester, NY2,353 living registrants give an office there.
- Monroe County’s registered bar2,430 currently registered, 3.22 per 1,000 residents.
- Admitted in 19856,046 people admitted in 1985 are on the register, 433 of them through the Fourth Department.
- Every registration that reads “Currently registered”286,911 on the register file of Sep 29, 2026, by decade of admission.
- What a New York lawyer may chargeThe court rules on fees, retainers and fee disputes, each cited.
How to confirm it officially
For a statement of John Walter Dreste’s standing, contact the Attorney Registration Unit of the NY Office of Court Administration (nycourts.gov/attorneys), or ask the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, which admitted John Walter Dreste in 1985. A complaint about this attorney would go to the Fourth Department’s grievance committee, which covers Monroe County, where the register places the office.
This page reads the register file of Sep 29, 2026, and the court system’s own search can be newer; the register shows only the current value, so a suspension that ended before the files we hold, or a censure, leaves no trace here (Appellate Division decisions are published through the court system’s Law Reporting Bureau).