Judith Kaye
| Judith S. Kaye | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals | |
| In office March 23, 1993 – December 31, 2008 |
|
| Appointed by | Mario Cuomo |
| Preceded by | Richard D. Simons |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Lippman |
| Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals | |
| In office 1983–1993 |
|
| Appointed by | Mario Cuomo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 4, 1938 Monticello, New York |
| Spouse(s) | Stephen Rackow Kaye (deceased) |
| Alma mater | Barnard College New York University School of Law |
Judith S. Kaye (born August 4, 1938) is a retired New York judge who served as Chief Judge of New York from March 23, 1993 until December 31, 2008. She was the first woman to occupy the State Judiciary's highest office.
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[edit] Early life and education
Kaye was born in Monticello, New York. She holds a B.A. from Barnard College (1958) and an LL.B from New York University School of Law (cum laude; 1962). She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1963.
[edit] Legal career
She began her career in private practice in New York City at Sullivan & Cromwell. She subsequently moved to Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O'Donnell & Weyher (a now-defunct law firm) until her appointment to the Court of Appeals.
[edit] Tenure as Chief Judge
Under Judge Kaye's leadership, New York State was considered a national leader in court reform efforts and in establishing problem-solving courts.[1] Working with the Fund for the City of New York,[2] she helped established the Center for Court Innovation,[3] a non-profit think tank that although independent of the court system, serves as the judiciary's research and development arm.
As Chief Judge, she also served as:
- Co-Chair of the "Commission on the American Jury" of the American Bar Association (2004–05)
- Chair of the "Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children"
- Founding Member and Honorary Chair, "Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert" (JALBCA)
- Member of the Board of Editors, New York State Bar Journal
- Trustee, "William Nelson Cromwell Foundation"
Kaye retired at the end of 2008, after reaching the state's mandatory retirement age of 70.[4] She gave her farewell speech on November 12, 2008.[5] Governor Paterson nominated New York State Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Lippman as her successor on January 13, 2009; the nomination required confirmation by the New York State Senate.
[edit] Later life
Kaye is now of counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City. On March 11, 2010 Andrew Cuomo, New York's attorney general, appointed Kaye as an independent counsel to investigate Governor David Paterson's alleged violation of ethics laws, due to Cuomo's conflict of interest. [6] She had powers to bring criminal charges to investigate various charges against the governor.[7]
[edit] Notable Opinions
- On July 6, 2006, Kaye authored a dissent in an omnibus appeal of four same-sex marriage disputes (including Hernandez v. Robles) in which the majority ruled that the state constitution "does not compel recognition of marriages between members of the same sex". Kaye's dissent admonished that while New York state has a tradition of upholding equal rights, "the court today retreats from that proud tradition".
[edit] Writings
She authored numerous publications—particularly articles dealing with legal process, state constitutional law, women in law, professional ethics and problem-solving courts. She has written and lectured frequently about problem-solving courts.
- "Delivering Justice Today: A Problem-Solving Approach" in, Yale Law & Policy Review, vol. 22, 2004
- "Making the Case for Hands-On Courts", Newsweek, October 11, 1999
[edit] Affiliations
Judith S. Kaye served as President of the Conference of Chief Justices and Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts (2002–03). She is a recipient of the Association Medal from the New York City Bar Association.
[edit] Family
She is the widow of Stephen Rackow Kaye, who practiced law in New York City; they had three children.
[edit] References
- ^ For more on New York's leading role in the problem-solving court movement, see Eaton, Leslie; Kaufman, Leslie (April 26, 2005). "In Problem-Solving Court, Judges Turn Therapist". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/26/nyregion/26courts.html?ex=1272168000&en=f23582f0013769e6&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss. Retrieved May 7, 2010. and "New York's Problem-Solving Courts Providing Meaningful Alternatives to Traditional Remedies". New York State Bar Journal. http://www.courtinnovation.org/_uploads/documents/NYProblemSolvingCourts.pdf.
- ^ "FCNY". FCNY. http://www.fcny.org/fcny/. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
- ^ "The Center for Court Innovation". Courtinnovation.org. October 28, 2009. http://www.courtinnovation.org. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
- ^ Judith S. Kaye's retirement in 1998
- ^ Kaye's Farewell Speech
- ^ Clancy, Michael. "Cuomo Removes Himself from Paterson Probe". NBC New York. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Cuomo-Removes-Himself-from-Paterson-Probe-87380277.html. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
- ^ Andy Gets Off Dave's Case - New York Post - March 12, 2010
[edit] External links
- Cornell bio
- New York State Unified Court System
- Center for Court Innovation
- A film clip "The Open Mind - A Court System for the 21st Century (2008)" is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard D. Simons Acting |
Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals 1993–2008 |
Succeeded by Jonathan Lippman |
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