More than meets the eye: a clerk's perspective of Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman.

AuthorWood, Margaret Nyland
PositionDedication: Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman - Testimonial

In just a few short years, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has had a tremendous impact on the New York State Court system. Among other things, he has created a task force to investigate wrongful convictions, (1) devoted himself to expanding access to civil legal services, (2) and tackled the issue of judicial campaign contributions. (3) At the same time, he has led the New York Court of Appeals in a new direction. For example, during his short tenure on the Court, the number of non-unanimous decisions issued by the panel has increased, along with the rate at which the individual Judges of the Court grant criminal leave applications. (4) But there is much more to Jonathan Lippman than these career successes. Behind the serious, driven exterior is a caring and thoughtful human being. As one of the Judge's former clerks, I offer three brief stories highlighting these attributes--attributes that undoubtedly make him a better Judge and leader of the New York State Court system.

I began my clerkship with Chief Judge Lippman when he joined the Court of Appeals in February 2009. Prior to that, I had been working on the Court of Appeals' Central Staff in Albany. After then-Governor David Paterson named Judge Lippman as his pick for the Chief Judge of New York State, I went to New York City to interview for a clerkship with the Judge. A few weeks later, Judge Lippman's appointment was confirmed by the Senate, and he immediately came to the Court to start working. Just a few hours after his arrival, I received a call to report to his chambers, where the Judge offered me the position. I immediately accepted, to which he responded with one of his classic lines: "It will be great, kid." The next week I traveled to New York City to find an apartment.

After a few frantic days of looking, I found a small studio in a neighborhood close to work. When the Judge heard I had signed the lease, he called me into his office and started peppering me with questions. "Where is the apartment?"; "Is there a doorman?"; "Is the building secure?" After some back and forth, I was eventually able to convince him that the building and neighborhood were safe. "Good," he said, explaining that he had a daughter close to my age, and hoped that someone would look out for her if she moved to a new city.

Many months later, Judge Lippman called me into his office for another interrogation after he learned that I had gotten engaged. As he sipped on his trademark hot tea, he asked me...

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