Carter Ledyard Partner Alan Lewis, as Chair of the Judicial Screening Committee of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NYSACDL), made formal recommendations this week to Governor Hochul for her to consider in connection with her appointment of the next Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Under Mr. Lewis’s leadership, the Screening Committee conducted a thorough review of the seven nominees for the Chief Judge position, including personal interviews with each of the nominees and a review of written materials submitted to the Commission on Judicial Nomination.
“We worked as a group to conduct a meticulous and thorough process enabling us to make specific recommendations to Governor Hochul as to her choice of Chief Judge. We focused on the skills essential to the position, including judicial temperament, ability to analyze complex legal problems, integrity and leadership skills – all in the context of the Court of Appeals’ essential role in assuring fairness to New Yorkers accused of crimes,” said Mr. Lewis.
The Screening Committee gave its highest rating, “Superior,” to two candidates: Abbe R. Gluck, a former law clerk to Ruth Bader Ginsburg who is a Professor at the Yale University School of Law where she is the Faculty Director of the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy; and Corey L. Staughton, a former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights during the Obama administration who is now the Attorney-in-Charge of the Special Litigation Unit at New York’s Legal Aid Society. The Screening Committee advocated appointment of one of these candidates because of their extraordinary accomplishments and commitment to reviving the New York Court of Appeals’ historic role as the most respected and influential of the nation’s state high courts.
Alan is Chair of the Firm’s White Collar and Criminal Defense practice and of the Firm’s First Amendment and Media Law practice.
The NYSACDL’s press release can be found here.