Last month, Governor David Paterson appointed Jonathan Lippman, presiding justice of the Appellate Division in Manhattan, to be the chief judge of the Court of Appeals—the top judgeship in the state. The NY Times has an article about Lippman, with praise from most people, but notes, "his body of work as a jurist remains relatively thin, leaving some judges and legal scholars uncertain about what he will bring to the bench that has the last word on state law." more ›

Governor David Paterson asked Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for legal alternatives concerning the chief judge nominees list. With Chief Judge Judith Kaye retiring from the State Court of Appeals this year, a state panel submitted a list of candidates to replace her--the state constitution says the governor must pick from that list--but Paterson was "disturbed" that the list lacked women! more ›