Vikram Vilkhu / Image - Vote for Vik

On January 1, the Town of Brighton swore in its first Indian-American criminal judge. Vikram Vilkhu, a Democrat born to Indian immigrants in the United States, took office as a Justice in the Brighton Town Court.

He is also the first Sikh to be elected in New York State’s history, the Sikh Coalition highlighted in a post on X. Indian American Senator Jeremy Cooney welcomed Vilkhu as a candidate in December 2023.

“Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority in New York. Expanding representation in local government is a significant step forward.Expanding cultural diversity in our elected officials is beneficial to our entire community—and we know it’s especially impactful for young people to see faces that look like theirs, to see their culture represented in all levels of government,”said Senator Cooney in a statement.

Vilkhu pursued his undergraduate education at Emory University, where he double-majored in religion and anthropology. Following graduation, he contributed to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), playing a key role in establishing a national hotline for victims of racial profiling and hate crimes in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Subsequently, Vilkhu attended law school at Case Western Reserve University, earning numerous awards for both his academic and extracurricular achievements.

After law school, Vilkhu applied his skills as a civilian contractor with the United States Army, defending enlisted soldiers facing accusations of crimes, whether deployed or on base. He then transitioned to the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, initially prosecuting misdemeanor crimes and traffic offenses. Vilkhu's legal practice extended to conducting trials across various towns in Monroe County, securing verdicts in a wide array of cases, ranging from DWIs to sex abuse.

The Indian American holds admission to practice law in both New York and Vermont, allowing him to litigate cases in both state and federal courts. His extensive multi-state legal practice involves overseeing a team of well over 100 employees and collaborating with ten local attorneys.

“When he came to America, people couldn’t even pronounce his name,” Vilkhu said speaking of his father during his swearing in ceremony. “My father, coming to this country where no one knew him, no one notices him, sees his last name in front yards now. He’s sitting with two state senators, a county executive, etc. Say what you want about this country but that is remarkable. That is absolutely remarkable.”