Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel has appointed Emily Woodard as the new Chautauqua County Attorney.
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel has announced the appointment of Emily Woodard as Chautauqua County Attorney.
Woodard has served in the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office since January 2015 and currently holds the position of Second Assistant District Attorney, where she manages a felony caseload and prosecutes crimes throughout the County. Her work has included reviewing investigations, presenting cases to the grand jury, conducting hearings and trials, preparing legal briefs and memoranda, and working closely with law enforcement agencies and victims of crime. In addition, Woodard has supervised support staff, implemented office-wide administrative policies, and coordinated countywide law enforcement training programs.
A lifelong Chautauqua County resident, Woodard grew up in the City of Dunkirk. She and her husband currently reside in the Village of Fredonia, where they are raising their two children.
Woodard was admitted to the New York State Bar in January 2015. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law, SUNY, in 2014, where she participated in the Buffalo Public Interest Law Program and was the Editor-in-Chief of the Buffalo Public Interest Law Journal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, graduating summa cum laude, from St. John Fisher University.
As County Attorney, Woodard will serve as the chief legal counsel for Chautauqua County, providing legal advice and representation to the County Executive, County departments and agencies.
Woodard will officially begin her role as Chautauqua County Attorney on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
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