Rowan Wilson, an associate judge on the New York Court of Appeals, ascended to the position of chief judge Tuesday after his nomination was approved by a vote of 40-19 in the state Senate.
Wilson’s appointment comes almost a year after former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore resigned from the role in the summer of 2022. Prior to Tuesday’s vote, the search for a chief judge to replace DiFiore had been contentious, with Gov. Kathy Hochul nominating appellate judge Hector LaSalle.
Despite having a Democratic supermajority in the Senate, LaSalle’s nomination failed to pass the Senate Judiciary Committee and was later rejected in a vote on the Senate floor. Critics of LaSalle referenced his voting record on abortion and labor rights.
Hochul then nominated Rowan Wilson, known as an impassioned and committed liberal. Wilson’s confirmation as chief judge marks the first time a Black jurist has ascended to that position. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals in 2017, Wilson was a partner at New York City law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
In a series of Tweets on April 18th, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins celebrated Wilson’s confirmation.
“I am happy to be here today for this historic moment for New York State. I love celebrating firsts in the chamber! We have broken so many barriers and once again today we are shattering another barrier. […] We have officially confirmed the first African-American Judge to serve the state of New York as the Chief judge of the Appeals Court. […] Judge Rowan Wilson has spent decades as a practitioner of the law and the last six of those years as a Judge on the New York State Court of Appeals.”
With Wilson’s associate judge position left vacant, Gov. Hochul has nominated former New York Solicitor General Caitlin Halligan to fill the role.
