Richard C. Wesley

This article is about the U.S. federal judge. For the playwright, see Richard Wesley.

Richard Wesley
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office June 12, 2003
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Pierre Leval
Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
In office January 3, 1997 – June 12, 2003
Appointed by	George Pataki
Preceded by	Richard Simons
Succeeded by	Robert Smith
Member of the New York Assembly for the 136th district
In office January 5, 1983 – January 5, 1986
Preceded by	James Emery
Succeeded by	John Hasper
Personal details
Born	(1949-08-01) August 1, 1949 Canandaigua, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	University at Albany, SUNY Cornell University

Richard Carl Wesley (born August 1, 1949 in Canandaigua, New York) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Education and background

Wesley attended the State University of New York at Albany followed by Cornell Law School. He began his career as a lawyer in private practice in Pittsford and Geneseo, New York. He served as assistant counsel to the minority party of the New York State Assembly from 1979 to 1982. From 1983 to 1986, he served as a Republican member of the Assembly.

Wesley's judicial career began with his election to the New York State Supreme Court in 1986. He served as a trial judge on the Supreme Court from 1987 until 1994, when he was promoted to the Appellate Division. In 1997, New York Governor George Pataki selected Wesley as his first appointee to serve as an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, New York's highest court.

Wesley was featured on President Obama's daily talking points memo. He said of colleague Sonia Sotomayor, "Sonia is an outstanding colleague with a keen legal mind. She brings a wealth of knowledge and hard work to all her endeavors on our court. It is both a pleasure and an honor to serve with her."

Second Circuit nomination

On March 5, 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Wesley to the Second Circuit in order to fill the seat vacated by Judge Pierre N. Leval, who took Senior status. The U.S. Senate confirmed Wesley's nomination just over three months later by a vote of 96-0 on June 11, 2003.

Political offices
Preceded by James Emery	Member of the New York Assembly for the 136th district 1983–1986	Succeeded by John Hasper
Legal offices
Preceded by Richard Simons	Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals 1997–2003	Succeeded by Robert Smith
Preceded by Pierre Leval	Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2003–present	Incumbent

External links

• Federal Judicial Center Profile