On Wednesday, November 2nd, New York University School of Law’s Center on Race, Inequality and the Law hosted a training session on the New York Court of Appeals Chief Justice vacancy at D’Agostino Hall.
(Left to right) Brad Hoylman, New York State Senator; Noah Rosenblum, Associate Professor of Law, New York University; Alyssa Fontier, managing director of Harlem Neighborhood Watch; and Taslima Lawal, a fellow at NYU’s Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law, at a Nov. 3 panel discussion.
On Wednesday, Nov. 2, a New York University Law School panel discussed solutions to eliminate the current New York Supreme Court Chief Justice vacancy. The person holding this position will influence the political balance of decisions made by the New York Court of Appeals, which was divided on his interpretation of state laws in recent years.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman joined a panel of experts in D’Agostino Hall to discuss the vacancy, which was created after Janet DiFiore has resigned August 31.
“This campaign is part of pushing us to do our due diligence and make sure that these candidates are not just good lawyers or even judges, but that they represent the values and backgrounds of New Yorkers as a whole,” Hoylman said. .
New York University Law School Associate Professor Noah Rosenblum, who spoke at the panel, addressed the importance of the position and duties of the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice, who serves a 14-year term, is the head of New York’s court system. They oversee the system’s policies and the appointment of the Chief Administrative Judge.
DiFiore, who served for only six years, was under investigation by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct at the time of her resignation. She allegedly asked the hearing officer to discipline the defendant who threatened to publish an article about DiFiore’s alleged affair. Anthony Cannataro was appointed Acting Chief Justice until a permanent replacement is found.
“We’re holding this event to bring attention to these otherwise procedural issues — to start demanding some democratic accountability,” said Taslima Lawal, a staff member at the center. “The person chosen to lead our courts will affect all of our lives, and we are here at this event to focus on the fact that without us, nothing can happen.”
The panel also reviewed the ongoing application for a new Chief Justice. Hoylman, who chairs the New York State Senate Judiciary Committee, expects the committee to send a short list of potential candidates to Gov. Cathy Hachul by Thanksgiving. Then Khochal will choose a candidate. The state Senate would then have to confirm the appointment.
Rosenblum emphasized that diversity and life experience should be considered in the selection process, paying particular attention to the judges’ consideration of cases involving marginalized people and working-class citizens of New York. He told WSN that NYU Law has many initiatives aimed at ensuring justice in the surrounding community, and that its mission, as well as NYU students and faculty, will depend on the Chief Justice’s selection.
“One of our mottos at NYU is that we are a private school in the public interest,” Rosenblum said. “NYU has always been committed to public service and has many initiatives that focus on New York State and New York and making it fairer, more livable and better for New Yorkers.”
Contact Yezen Saadah at [email protected]
