New York attorney record · Judicial Dept 4
Thomas Paul Kawalec
Suny At Buffalo alumna, admitted to the New York bar in 1998, registered office in Buffalo, NY. Decades of status, address, and registration history on this record come straight from the NY Office of Court Administration.
- 1998
- Admitted
- 28
- Years in bar
- 2906626
- NY reg #
The record in one line
With 28 years on the register since a 1998 admission, Thomas Paul Kawalec ranks among the New York bar's most senior active practitioners, longer-tenured than 62% of the currently-active bar.
- 28 yrs
- in active practice since admission
- Active
- current bar status: "Currently registered"
- #1185 of 3,464
- by tenure in Buffalo office peers
- Law school
- Suny At Buffalo
Data updated September 2026
What this profile tells you
Bar status & tenure
Registration 2906626 with the New York bar authority has long belonged to Thomas Paul Kawalec, a veteran practitioner still in active good standing. Registration is recorded within Judicial Department 4, the appellate division overseeing this attorney's home district.
Practice context & education
Practice address is listed under Chelus, Herdzik, Speyer & Monte P.C., located in Buffalo, NY (Erie County), ZIP 14202. 1 other attorney shares this firm affiliation in the registry. Educational background: SUNY AT BUFFALO.
State context & due diligence
After 28 years on the register, Thomas Paul Kawalec still falls within the New York bar's active cohort, a share of the register detailed further below.
Experience vs. the active New York bar
Few active New York attorneys match Thomas Paul Kawalec's 28 years since admission in 1998.
28 years on the New York bar
Years since admission, all currently-active NY attorneys
28 Top 38% higher than 62% of 290,787 active NY attorneys
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more active NY attorneys. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NY Office of Court Administration, Attorney Registration · September 2026
Tenure among Buffalo, NY office peers
Thomas Paul Kawalec is earlier in the Buffalo, NY office cohort than most peers: local tenure rank #1,185 of 3,464 (34th percentile). See the Buffalo attorney directory .
- Local rank
- #1,185
- City cohort
- 3,464
- Local percentile
- 34th
- Admitted
- 1998
Nearest tenure peers in Buffalo
- Mark David Arcara admitted 1998 · 28 yr
- Marla Kim Babat admitted 1998 · 28 yr
- Holly Adams Beecher admitted 1998 · 28 yr
- Brad A. Birmingham admitted 1998 · 28 yr
How local rank is computed
Rank uses years since NY-bar admission among non-deceased registry rows that list the same office city and state, a local placement, not a statewide claim. Source: NY Office of Court Administration Attorney Registration · as of September 2026. Derived local rank, not published upstream.
How Thomas compares to fellow Suny At Buffalo alumni
Among the 1,234 Suny At Buffalo graduates in the New York register, Thomas Paul Kawalec is longer-tenured than 10%.
28 years vs. Suny At Buffalo alumni
Years since admission - 1,234 NY-registered alumni of this school
28 Top 90% higher than 10% of 1,234 fellow alumni
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more fellow alumni. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NY Office of Court Administration, Attorney Registration · September 2026
The 1998 admission class today
Of the 7,302 attorneys admitted to the New York bar in 1998, 62.9% are still "Currently registered" today, below the statewide average across all admission years.
Professional Details
- Status
- Currently registered
- Registration Number
- 2906626
- Year Admitted
- 1998 (28 yrs · veteran)
- Judicial Department
- 4
- Next Registration
- Oct 2026
Location & Contact
- Company
- Chelus, Herdzik, Speyer & Monte P.C.
- City
- Buffalo, NY
- County
- Erie
- ZIP Code
- 14202
- Phone
- (716) 852-3600
Education
SUNY AT BUFFALO
Status Distribution Across the New York Bar
Thomas Paul Kawalec's current status, "Currently registered", places this attorney in the 67.2% of the 432,625-attorney New York register currently marked active.
Full statewide breakdown & source note
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, Attorney Registrations. Status counts reflect the latest reporting cycle. Bar status confirms registration only; it does not imply competence, specialty fit, or freedom from complaints.
Same firm affiliation: Chelus, Herdzik, Speyer & Monte P.C.
Other NY-registered attorneys who share this firm name on the OCA register (not a geographic peer set).
View all attorneys at this firm →Near-tenure Suny At Buffalo alumni
Fellow alumni on the NY register whose admission year is closest to 1998 (excluding same-firm colleagues above).
Same admission year (1998), other cities
NY-registered attorneys admitted in 1998 whose listed office city differs from Buffalo, a vintage cohort, not a neighborhood list.
Nationwide attorneys with similar admission year or city registry density
Two non-geo peer axes for Thomas Paul Kawalec: closest NY bar admission year outside NY, and closest out-of-state office cities by how many NY-registered attorneys they list (~3,465 here). Distinct from same-firm, fellow-alumni, and same-year other-city strips above.
Similar admission year (~1998)
Counts come from the NY State Office of Court Administration registration extract; peers are not a competence or practice-area ranking.
Verify This Attorney
Verify on NY Courts Attorney SearchNearby Attorneys in Buffalo, NY
Compare credentials side-by-side
Compare Thomas Paul Kawalec with similar attorneys in Buffalo.
Compare attorneys →Before you rely on this record
Thomas Paul Kawalec's "Currently registered" listing confirms bar standing only, it is a registration fact to verify, not a verdict on quality or competence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Thomas Kawalec licensed?
Thomas Kawalec is licensed to practice law in New York.
When was Thomas Paul Kawalec admitted to the bar?
Thomas Paul Kawalec's admission to the New York bar dates back to 1998.
Where did Thomas Paul Kawalec go to law school?
Thomas Paul Kawalec attended SUNY AT BUFFALO.
What company does Thomas Paul Kawalec work for?
Thomas Paul Kawalec is associated with Chelus, Herdzik, Speyer & Monte P.C. in Buffalo, NY.
Is Thomas Paul Kawalec in good standing?
Yes, Thomas Paul Kawalec holds active bar status ("Currently registered").
Cite this page & disclosure
Sourced from the NY Office of Court Administration, informational only, not legal advice. Full disclosure.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.