Chief Judge John T. Loughran.

• Author: Read, Susan Phillips
• Position: Symposium: Judges on Judges: The New York State Court of Appeals Judges' Own Favorites in Court History - Testimonial

I have chosen to talk about Judge John Thomas Loughran, who served as an Associate Judge on the Court of Appeals from 1934 to 1945, and as Chief Judge from 1945 until 1953. Many of you may be unfamiliar with Judge Loughran's life or jurisprudence. I will confess that I was not even certain how to pronounce his name before Judge Rosenblatt suggested Judge Loughran as my subject for today's presentation. After a little research, however, I recognized--as usual--the wisdom of Judge Rosenblatt's counsel.

First some biographical details. Judge Loughran was born in Kingston, New York on February 23, 1889. His parents were Irish-American; his father was a successful small businessman. He was educated at local parochial schools, and the Kingston Academy, from which he graduated in 1907. While Judge Loughran was a student, he worked as a reporter for the Kingston Daily Freeman covering the action at the local courthouse. This experience piqued his interest in the law, and so he enrolled at Fordham Law School.

Judge Loughran was an exceptionally gifted student. He possessed a photographic memory, which allowed him to quote and cite cases with ease; his writing, sharpened by his experience as a part-time newspaper reporter, was concise and lucid. Given these natural assets, it is not surprising that Judge Loughran graduated summa cum laude in 1911, or that the law school offered him a post on the faculty at the age of 23. Upon graduation, he also entered into the private practice of law, first as a solo practitioner, and later in partnership. In his 18 years on the faculty at Fordham, Judge Loughran wrote textbooks and law review articles--usual grist for the law school mill--and taught a broad array of courses, including agency, carriers, contracts, criminal law, evidence, New York practice, pleading, quasi-contract, sales, suretyship, and torts.

In 1930, Judge Loughran's skills and reputation propelled him to nomination and election to Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District. He was a stand-out judge. As a result, in 1934, Democratic Governor Herbert Layman appointed him to the Court of Appeals to fill a vacancy created by resignation. Judge Loughran was easily elected to the Court of Appeals in November 1934 after his endorsement by both the Democratic and Republican parties.

In 1945, Republican Governor Thomas E. Dewey appointed Judge Loughran the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals to fill another vacancy, this one created by the death of...