List of Chief Judges of the New York Court of Appeals


Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals refers to the position of chief judge on the New York Court of Appeals. They are also known as the Chief Judge of New York.
The chief judge supervises the seven-judge Court of Appeals. In addition, the chief judge oversees the work of the state's Unified Court system, which as of 2009, had a $2.5 billion annual budget and more than 16,000 employees. The chief judge is also a member of the Judicial Conference of the State of New York.

Chief Judges before 1870

NameTook officeLeft officePartyNotes
Freeborn G. JewettJuly 5, 1847December 31, 1849Democratic
Greene C. BronsonJanuary 1, 1850April 1851Democratic/Anti-RentResigned
Charles H. RugglesApril 1851December 31, 1853Democratic
Addison GardinerJanuary 1, 1854December 31, 1855Democratic/Anti-Rent
Hiram DenioJanuary 1, 1856December 31, 1857Democratic
Alexander S. JohnsonJanuary 1, 1858December 31, 1859Democratic
George F. ComstockJanuary 1, 1860December 31, 1861AmericanElected an associate judge on the American Party ticket, by the time his term as Chief Judge began this party had disbanded, and Comstock had become a Democrat.
Samuel L. SeldenJanuary 1, 1862July 1, 1862DemocraticResigned
Hiram DenioJuly 1, 1862December 31, 1865Democratic
Henry E. DaviesJanuary 1, 1866December 31, 1867Republican/American
William B. WrightJanuary 1, 1868January 12, 1868UnionElected in 1861 on the Union ticket nominated by War Democrats and Republicans; died in office
Ward HuntJanuary 12, 1868December 31, 1869RepublicanSubsequently served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Robert EarlJanuary 1, 1870July 4, 1870DemocraticLegislated out of office by constitutional amendment of 1869

Chief Judges between 1870 and 1974

NameTook officeLeft officePartyNotes
Sanford E. ChurchJuly 4, 1870May 13, 1880DemocraticDied in office
Charles J. FolgerMay 20, 1880November 14, 1881RepublicanAppointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Charles AndrewsDecember 19, 1881December 31, 1882RepublicanAppointed to fill vacancy
William C. RugerJanuary 1, 1883January 14, 1892DemocraticDied in office
Robert EarlJanuary 19, 1892December 31, 1892Dem./Rep.Appointed to fill vacancy
Charles AndrewsJanuary 1, 1893December 31, 1897Rep./Dem.Age-limited
Alton B. ParkerJanuary 1, 1898August 5, 1904DemocraticResigned to run on the Democratic ticket for U.S. President
Edgar M. CullenSeptember 2, 1904December 31, 1913Dem./Rep.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Willard BartlettJanuary 1, 1914December 31, 1916DemocraticAge-limited
Frank H. HiscockJanuary 1, 1917December 31, 1926Rep./Progr.Age-limited
Benjamin N. CardozoJanuary 1, 1927March 7, 1932Dem./Rep.Resigned to become an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Cuthbert W. PoundMarch 8, 1932December 31, 1934Rep./Dem.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Frederick E. CraneJanuary 1, 1935December 31, 1939Rep./Dem.Age-limited
Irving LehmanJanuary 1, 1940September 22, 1945Dem./Rep./Am. LaborDied in office
John T. LoughranSeptember 28, 1945March 31, 1953Dem./Rep./Am. Labor/Lib.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then died in office
Edmund H. LewisApril 22, 1953December 31, 1954Rep./Dem./Lib.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Albert ConwayJanuary 1, 1955December 31, 1959Dem./Rep.Age-limited
Charles S. DesmondJanuary 1, 1960December 31, 1966Dem./Rep.Age-limited
Stanley H. FuldJanuary 1, 1967December 31, 1973Rep./Dem.Age-limited
Charles D. BreitelJanuary 1, 1974December 31, 1978Rep./Lib.Last elected Chief Judge; age-limited

Chief Judges since 1974

After 1974, judges of the New York Court of Appeals were no longer elected, following reforms to the New York Constitution. Instead, an appointment process was created.
NameTook officeLeft officeAppointed byNotes
Lawrence H. CookeJanuary 23, 1979December 31, 1984Hugh CareyFirst Chief Judge appointed by the Governor under constitutional amendment of 1977; age-limited
Sol WachtlerJanuary 2, 1985November 11, 1992Mario CuomoResigned
Richard D. Simons November 17, 1992March 22, 1993n/aActed until the appointment of a successor
Judith S. KayeMarch 23, 1993December 31, 2008Mario CuomoReached mandatory retirement age; Chief Judge with the longest tenure, only Chief Judge to complete a 14-year term
Jonathan LippmanFebruary 11, 2009December 31, 2015David Paterson
Eugene F. Pigott Jr. January 1, 2016January 21, 2016n/a
Janet DiFioreJanuary 21, 2016incumbentAndrew Cuomo