List of chief judges of the New York Court of Appeals

The Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, ex officio the Chief Judge of New York, supervises the seven-judge New York Court of Appeals. In addition, the chief judge oversees the work of the state's Unified Court system, which as of 2009, had a $2.5 billion annual budget and more than 16,000 employees. The chief judge is also chair of the Administrative Board of the Courts and a member of the Judicial Conference of the State of New York. The chief judge appoints the Chief Administrator of the Courts with the advice and consent of the board.

Chief judges between 1847 and 1870

Until 1847 the most senior judge in the state was the Chancellor of New York. That position was abolished in 1847 when the court system was re-organized, and the Chief Judge succeeded the Chancellor as the head of the state's judicial system.

Name Took office Left office PartyThis is the party on which ticket the Chief Judge had been elected. Where multiple parties are mentioned, the first one is the party of which the judge was a member. NotesFreeborn G. JewettJuly 5, 1847December 31, 1849DemocraticGreene C. BronsonJanuary 1, 1850April 1851Democratic/Anti-RentResignedCharles H. RugglesApril 1851December 31, 1853DemocraticAddison GardinerJanuary 1, 1854December 31, 1855Democratic/Anti-RentHiram DenioJanuary 1, 1856December 31, 1857DemocraticAlexander S. JohnsonJanuary 1, 1858December 31, 1859DemocraticGeorge F. ComstockJanuary 1, 1860December 31, 1861AmericanElected an associate judge on the American Party ticket, by the time his term as Chief Judge began this party had disbanded, and Comstock had become a Democrat.Samuel L. SeldenJanuary 1, 1862July 1, 1862DemocraticResignedHiram DenioJuly 1, 1862December 31, 1865DemocraticHenry E. DaviesJanuary 1, 1866December 31, 1867Republican/AmericanWilliam B. WrightJanuary 1, 1868January 12, 1868UnionElected in 1861 on the Union ticket nominated by War Democrats and Republicans; died in officeWard HuntJanuary 12, 1868December 31, 1869RepublicanSubsequently served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme CourtRobert EarlJanuary 1, 1870July 4, 1870DemocraticLegislated out of office by constitutional amendment of 1869

Chief judges between 1870 and 1974 An amendment to the New York Constitution, adopted in November 1869, re-organized the Court of Appeals. The first judges were to be elected at a special statewide election to take office on July 4, 1870.

Name Took office Left office Party NotesSanford E. ChurchJuly 4, 1870May 13, 1880DemocraticDied in officeCharles J. FolgerMay 20, 1880November 14, 1881RepublicanAppointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the TreasuryCharles AndrewsDecember 19, 1881December 31, 1882RepublicanAppointed to fill vacancyWilliam C. RugerJanuary 1, 1883January 14, 1892DemocraticDied in officeRobert EarlJanuary 19, 1892December 31, 1892Dem./Rep.Appointed to fill vacancyCharles AndrewsJanuary 1, 1893December 31, 1897Rep./Dem.Age-limitedThe Chief Judge was elected to a 14-year term, but reached the constitutional age limit on December 31 of the calendar year in which he completed 70 years. A successor was then elected at the State election in November of that year. None of the elected Chief Judges (1870 to 1978) completed the 14-year term as such, but some Chief Judges served previously a full 14-year term as associate judge, or served more than 14 years counting the tenures as associate and chief judge together.Alton B. ParkerJanuary 1, 1898August 5, 1904DemocraticResigned to run on the Democratic ticket for U.S. PresidentEdgar M. CullenSeptember 2, 1904December 31, 1913Dem./Rep.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limitedWillard BartlettJanuary 1, 1914December 31, 1916DemocraticAge-limitedFrank H. HiscockJanuary 1, 1917December 31, 1926Rep./Progr.Age-limitedBenjamin N. CardozoJanuary 1, 1927March 7, 1932Dem./Rep.Resigned to become an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme CourtCuthbert W. PoundMarch 8, 1932December 31, 1934Rep./Dem.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limitedFrederick E. CraneJanuary 1, 1935December 31, 1939Rep./Dem.Age-limitedIrving LehmanJanuary 1, 1940September 22, 1945Dem./Rep./Am. LaborDied in officeJohn T. LoughranSeptember 28, 1945March 31, 1953Dem./Rep./Am. Labor/Lib.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then died in officeEdmund H. LewisApril 22, 1953December 31, 1954Rep./Dem./Lib.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limitedAlbert ConwayJanuary 1, 1955December 31, 1959Dem./Rep.Age-limitedCharles S. DesmondJanuary 1, 1960December 31, 1966Dem./Rep.Age-limitedStanley H. FuldJanuary 1, 1967December 31, 1973Rep./Dem.Age-limitedCharles D. BreitelJanuary 1, 1974December 31, 1978Rep./Lib.Last elected Chief Judge; age-limited

Chief judges since 1974 After 1974, judges of the New York Court of Appeals were no longer elected, following reforms to the New York Constitution. Instead, an appointment process was created.Peter J. Galie, Ordered Liberty: A Constitutional History of New York (Princeton University Press, 1996, p. 336–37.

Name Took office Left office Appointed by Notes Lawrence H. CookeJanuary 23, 1979Nominated on January 2, confirmed by State Senate on January 23 December 31, 1984 Hugh Carey First Chief Judge appointed by the Governor under constitutional amendment of 1977; age-limited Sol WachtlerJanuary 2, 1985 November 11, 1992 Mario Cuomo Resigned Richard D. Simons (acting)November 17, 1992 March 22, 1993 n/a Acted until the appointment of a successor Judith S. Kaye March 23, 1993 December 31, 2008 Mario Cuomo Reached mandatory retirement age; Chief Judge with the longest tenure (more than 15 years), only Chief Judge to complete a 14-year term Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick (acting) January 1, 2009 February 10, 2009Law.com, Lippman Is Pick for Chief Judge, New York Law Journal (January 14, 2009). n/a Acted until the appointment of a successor Jonathan Lippman February 11, 2009Nominated on January 13, confirmed on February 11 December 31, 2015James C. McKinley Jr., New York's Chief Judge Leaving a Legacy of Reforms Inspired by Social Justice, New York Times (December 29, 2015). David Paterson Eugene F. Pigott Jr. (acting) January 1, 2016 January 21, 2016STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF FORMER CHIEF JUDGE JUDITH S. KAYE FROM ACTING CHIEF JUDGE EUGENE F. PIGOTT, JR., New York State Courts (January 7, 2016) (press release). n/a Janet DiFiore January 21, 2016 August 31, 2022 Andrew CuomoAnthony Cannataro (acting) September 1, 2022 April 18, 2023n/a Acted until the appointment of a successorRowan D. Wilson April 19, 2023 incumbent Kathy Hochul

See also List of associate judges of the New York Court of Appeals

References and footnotes

External links Rules of the Chief Judge in the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations