By Kaitlin Foley
Kaitlin Foley is a third-year student at Albany Law School. She graduated with honors from the University at Albany, SUNY in 2012 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. In between SUNY Albany and Albany Law, she attained a paralegal certificate.
Kaitlin is currently a member of the Albany Law Review. She serves as this year's Executive Editor for Research and Writing.
During her time at Albany Law, Kaitlin has been an associate on the Moot Court Board, interned with the Office of the New York State Attorney General, and held a field placement with Judge Randolph F. Treece, of the Northern District of New York. Upon graduation, Kaitlin hopes to pursue a career in the public sector.
This paper was prepared for Professor Bonventre’s Court of Appeals Intensive Seminar.
The New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, is composed of a Chief Judge and six Associate Judges. Each judge is appointed to a fourteen-year term, ending after that time or upon the judge reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
When a vacancy occurs, the Governor of New York makes an appointment. The individual chosen is selected from a list of candidates provided to the Governor by the Commission on Judicial Nomination. Each appointment is then subject to confirmation by the State Senate.
The Court of Appeals, has often been regarded as the second most influential court in the nation. This magnificent court has been responsible for establishing a variety of legal principles found in American jurisprudence.
This paper will chronologically discuss four cases, regarded as some of the most significant opinions to come out of the New York State Court of Appeals. Additionally, it will examine the effect these opinions have had on American Law.
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