Introduction to the Ninth Annual Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke Symposium, High Courts, Center Seat: Chief Justices at Albany Law School; and 'The Lippman Top Ten'.

AuthorBonventre, Vincent Martin
PositionDEDICATION

Welcome to the Chief Judge Cooke Symposium. Named after Lawrence H. Cooke, this symposium has previously brought some of the nation's most preeminent jurists to Albany Law School, such as: Chief Justice Margaret Marshall of Massachusetts, (1) Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson of Wisconsin, (2) Chief Justice Christine Durham of Utah, (3) Chief Justice Marsha Ternus of Iowa, (4) and Chief Judge Judith Kaye of New York. (5) We have even invited a few men: Chief Justice Jim Hannah of Arkansas, (6) Justice Jack Landau of Oregon, (7) and of course, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of New York. (8) Additionally, both Chief Judge Kaye (9) and Chief Judge Lippman (10) have each brought the entire Court of Appeals with them to participate in previous Cooke symposia. The last time the Judges of the court discussed "The Untold Secrets of Eagle Street"--including the handshake. We know there's a handshake; we just don't know what it is!

Today we have an extraordinary panel of judges and for that reason it's going to be very hard to top this symposium next year. In introducing the judges, I'm not going to read their official biographies which are included in the program we've created for you today. And by their "official biographies," I mean the biographies listed on each state's website. What's funny is that the Vermont website is quite spare in describing that state's justices, while the Oregon site goes on interminably about the members of its supreme court. I will not be repeating either of those!

I am, however, going to say a few words about each of our participants. Chief Justice Thomas Balmer of Oregon was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court in 2001 and elected by his colleagues as chief justice in 2012. He has practiced both privately and in government. While he was a government attorney, he successfully defended Oregon's Death with Dignity Act before the federal courts. He is also responsible for numerous initiatives as chief justice. Recently, he commissioned a study on the juvenile justice system and its treatment of mental illness. Chief Justice Balmer's court is probably the nation's leader in independent state constitutional adjudication. One of the former justices of Oregon, the iconic Hans Linde, is actually on the board of Albany Law Review's State Constitutional Commentary. Chief Justice Balmer has written numerous law review articles, and two years ago he wrote one for the Albany Law Review entitled, In the Balance: Thoughts on Balancing and Alternative Approaches in State Constitutional Adjudication.n We are thrilled to have you here Chief Justice.

Next, we have Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera of Maryland. Yes I said judge, because the jurists on the high court in Maryland are referred to as "judge." Also, Maryland's high court is the "Court of Appeals." We are kind of partial to both those titles here in New York! Chief...

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