Judith S. Kaye Speeches and Articles

Mostly chronological. Also by subject and alphabetically.

In 1983, Governor Mario Cuomo appointed Judith S. Kaye, a commercial litigator, to the New York State Court of Appeals as an associate judge, the first woman to serve on the bench of the state's highest court. After the resignation of Chief Judge Sol Wachtler, Cuomo nominated Kaye to fill the position. She was unanimously confirmed by the state senate and took office on March 23, 1993. In 2007, Kaye was reappointed by Elliot Spitzer to another 14-year term. She retired in 2008 after reaching the state's mandatory retirement age for judges, as the first woman and longest-serving Chief Judge in the history of the state. After leaving the Court of Appeals, Kaye became of counsel to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City and was appointed by Governor David Paterson to the Commission on Judicial Nomination. In 2010, State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo appointed Kaye as independent counsel to investigate ethics violations by Paterson and a domestic violence case involving a Paterson aide. Kaye died from lung cancer on January 7, 2016.

This series contains speeches and articles by Judith S. Kaye during her time as an associate judge and later Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. It also contains speeches and articles from after her retirement.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.