Picking Supreme Court Judges New York

In January, U.S. District Judge John Gleeson ruled that the current system of nominating State Supreme Court judges in New York is unconstitutional. At a recent forum at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, a panel of experts weighed in on the subject of how to select judges and why it matters. The following articles are edited transcripts of the event.
Giving Voters Real Choices
Deborah Goldberg of the Brennan Center argues that with certain reforms, primary
elections could address many of the current problems in selecting judges. Read
more
Selecting the Most Qualified Candidates
Michael Cardozo, the counsel for New York City, argues that while merit selection
is the best way to appoint judges, screening panels that recommend the best
judicial candidates is the most practical approach.
Read
more
Creating A Diverse Judiciary
Paul Wooten, who has served as a delegate to Brooklyn’s
Democratic judicial convention, argues that, for the most part, the current
system works and elects judges that represent the diverse city. Read
more