Dedication to Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman.

• Author: Galvao, Antonio E.
• Position: Testimonial

Jonathan Lippman

Chief Judge, New York State

Court of Appeals,

2009-2015

In January 1996, fresh off a clerkship with the Court of Appeals, I took a job as assistant deputy counsel to the newly appointed chief administrative judge, Jonathan Lippman. With the energetic, visionary Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye at the helm of the judiciary, it was an exciting time to work at the Office of Court Administration (OCA). Over the next twelve years, the team of Kaye and Lippman dragged our once antiquated state court system kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century: modernizing the jury system; introducing innovative drug treatment and problem-solving courts; reforming matrimonial practice and procedure; integrating technology into court processes; bringing ADR into the mainstream; expanding access to justice; and on and on.

During this period of intense reform activity, I found myself working in a fast-paced environment under the direction of a human dynamo with a tireless work ethic, brilliant legal mind, encyclopedic knowledge of the courts and highly developed people skills and political instincts. The new chief administrative judge was a demanding boss in the sense that he held his staff to very high standards and challenged and pushed them to do excellent work, to write well and clearly, to think deeply about the problems at hand. With so many competing demands on his time, speaking and writing concisely and effectively were absolute musts when bringing complicated problems and concepts to his attention, and staff members learned to maximize their face time by getting to the point quickly.

No one was more committed or worked harder or cared more about the courts than Jonathan Lippman. He was, with minimal exaggeration, the first person in the building and the last to leave every day. He absolutely loved his job--"moving mountains," as he termed it--and he went about it with relentless optimism and persistence. He exuded a positive energy and enthusiasm that were inspiring and infectious. He made you excited about what you were doing, and made you want to work hard and succeed. A few words of praise from Judge Lippman--"kid, this isn't good, it's great!"--could energize you for a week.

Judge Lippman was a compassionate and decent boss. I never heard him utter a single harsh or demeaning word toward anyone who worked for him. He was a master at motivating and getting the best out of everyone, at playing to people's strengths and knowing...