In April of this year, Vermont Supreme Court Associate Justice Karen Carroll announced her plans to retire at the end of this month. (No word yet on her successor). Yesterday (Aug. 7, 2025), the Vermont Judiciary announced that Associate Justice William Cohen will also be retiring at the end of this year. Here is the press release the judiciary sent yesterday:
Montpelier, VT – The State Court Administrator’s Office announces that Associate Justice William D. Cohen has notified Governor Phil Scott of his intent to retire from the Vermont Supreme Court in December 2025.
Justice Cohen was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court by Governor Scott in December 2019. Prior to his service on the Vermont Supreme Court, Justice Cohen presided as a Superior Court Judge in the Criminal, Civil and Family Divisions in Rutland and Bennington Counties after being appointed by Governor Howard Dean as a trial court judge in 1999. Justice Cohen graduated from Rutland High School, George Washington University and Vermont Law School before serving as a deputy state’s attorney in Rutland County from 1984-1986. He then worked in private practice until his appointment to the trial bench in 1999.
Chief Justice Paul Reiber expressed his deep gratitude to Justice Cohen for his dedicated service to Vermonters. “Justice Cohen has been a valued colleague to every member of our court. He has been a mentor to young lawyers and a confidant to those facing life challenges. Expanding on his many years as a trial court judge, his professionalism set a standard when he joined, his kindness made the workplace feel more human, and his wit brought levity when we needed it most. He will be missed but will leave behind an enduring legacy.”
U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Lanthier appeared in Justice Cohen’s courtroom for many years when she was the Rutland County Public Defender and he was a trial court judge. She noted: “Justice Cohen loved jury trials. He understood the critical role individual Vermonters play in our legal system. He knew Vermonters serving on juries took their responsibility seriously and relied on their collective experiences and wisdom to render just and fair verdicts. The State of Vermont will miss his service greatly.”
Justice Cohen served on numerous state-wide committees and commissions during his distinguished career and presently serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts and Co-Chair of the Vermont Commission on the Well-Being of the Legal Profession.
