(CNN) Martin Tankleff was admitted to the New York State bar Wednesday in the same appellate court where his wrongful conviction in the 1988 killing of his parents was overturned.

"Today was a historic day, not only for the fact that I was admitted as an attorney, but also for the fact that two of the judges that freed me in 2007 were part of the swearing-in panel," Tankleff said.

He becomes one of a handful of exonerees practicing law in the state, according to Lonnie Soury, whose public relations firm led the campaign to free Tankleff. His admission to the state bar was confirmed by Lucian Chalfen, spokesman for the New York State Unified Court System.

"It's been a very, very long battle and now I can do a lot more good for the criminal justice system and society," Tankleff told reporters, holding his newly issued "certificate of good standing" as an attorney.

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