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Caitlin J. Halligan
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2023 - Present
2037
2
Caitlin J. Halligan is a judge of the New York Court of Appeals. She assumed office on April 19, 2023. Her current term ends on April 19, 2037.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) appointed Halligan via hybrid-assisted appointment to replace Rowan Wilson after he was appointed chief judge.[1] To read more about this appointment, click here.
Halligan was a nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Halligan's nomination was returned to the president on December 17, 2011, but resubmitted again on June 11, 2012. Her nomination was withdrawn on March 22, 2013 by President Barack Obama after it failed to overcome a filibuster on the Senate floor.[2][3]
Biography
Halligan received her undergraduate degree from Princeton in 1988 and her J.D. from Georgetown Law School in 1995.[4]
After graduating from law school, Halligan clerked for Judge Patricia Wald and Justice Stephen Breyer. She worked in the private practice of law until 1999, when she joined the Office of the New York State Attorney General. Two years later, Halligan became First Deputy Solicitor General in the state, then Solicitor General for New York, a position she served in for five years. She went back into private practice until 2010, when she joined the New York County District Attorney's Office.[5]
Awards and associations
- Pro bono counsel, Board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
- 2005-Present: Adjunct faculty, Columbia Law School[5]
Appointments
2023
New York governor Kathy Hochul appointed Caitlin J. Halligan to the New York Court of Appeals. Halligan replaced Judge Rowan Wilson, who ascended to the position of Chief Judge on April 18, 2023. Wilson's replacement was Governor Hochul's (D) third nominee to the seven-member supreme court.
In New York, state court of appeals judges are selected through assisted appointment with a hybrid judicial nominating commission. Judges are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission who has no majority of members selected either by the governor or the state Bar Association. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
Gov.Kathy Hochul (D) appointed Halligan to replace Rowan Wilson after he was appointed chief judge.[6]
Federal judgeship nomination
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Caitlin J. Halligan |
| Court: District of Columbia Circuit |
| Progress |
| Returned 905 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: September 29, 2010
|
| ABA Rating: Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: February 2, 2011
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: February 14, 2013 (March 10, 2011)
|
 Confirmed:
|
| Returned: March 22, 2013
|
On September 29, 2010, President Obama nominated Halligan to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[2][7][8][9]
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 29, 2010 | Nominated to DC Circuit |
| End of 111th Congress | Nomination returned to President |
| January 5, 2011 | Nomination resubmitted to Congress |
| February 2, 2011 | Hearing in Senate Judiciary Committee |
| December 6, 2011 | Filibuster in Senate over confirmation |
| December 17, 2011 | Nomination returned to President |
| June 11, 2012 | Nomination resubmitted to Congress |
| September 19, 2012 | Nomination resubmitted to Congress |
| January 4, 2013 | Nomination resubmitted to Congress |
| March 22, 2013 | Nomination withdrawn |
Withdrawal
On March 22, 2013, President Barack Obama accepted the request from Caitlin Halligan to withdrawal her nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The withdrawal came on the heels of a major cloture vote for Halligan's nomination which failed to achieve the 60 vote threshold to overcome the filibuster. Obama commented on the withdrawal stating:
| “ | I am deeply disappointed that even after nearly two and a half years, a minority of Senators continued to block a simple up-or-down vote on her nomination. This unjustified filibuster obstructed the majority of Senators from expressing their support. I am confident that with Caitlin’s impressive qualifications and reputation, she would have served with distinction.[14][15] | ” |
Opposition
Opposition to Halligan's nomination came from Senate Republicans, who considered the nominee too liberal for the District of Columbia Circuit Court. Opponents pointed to her work on lawsuits regarding gun manufacturers and illegal immigrants as evidence. In addition to Halligan's specific nomination, at the time there was significant opposition to filling any of the four vacancies on the D.C. Circuit. This revolved around the disagreement over the necessary number of seats by caseload, in addition to the difficulty of finding politically agreeable members for the court, which hears mostly appeals regarding federal agencies and constitutional challenges.[16]
State supreme court judicial selection in New York
- See also: Judicial selection in New York
The seven judges of the New York Court of Appeals are selected through the assisted appointment method. The governor appoints each new judge from a list of qualified nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by the New York State Senate.[17][18]
Judges serve 14-year terms. To remain on the court, a judge must be renominated by the governor and reconfirmed by the Senate. Judges must retire at the end of the year in which they turn 70 years old; however, retired judges may serve until the end of the year in which they turn 76 years old if they are certified as competent every two years.[17][18]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a person must be a resident of New York and must have been admitted to practice law in New York for at least 10 years.[17][18]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the court of appeals is selected through the same assisted appointment method as other judges on the court and serves in that role for a full term. The position of chief judge is a specific seat on the court rather than a temporary leadership position.[17][18]
Vacancies
Midterm vacancies are filled by assisted appointment. The governor appoints a new judge from a list of qualified nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by the New York State Senate. The newly appointed judge serves a full 14-year term.[17][18]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Times Union, "Halligan confirmed to Court of Appeals, cementing liberal majority," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 112th Congress Nomination Materials
- ↑ "Statement by the President on the Withdrawal of the Nomination of Caitlin Halligan" 3/22/2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Vance Deputy Nominated to Be Federal Appellate Judge," September 29, 2010
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The White House, Press Release: "President Obama Names Two to U.S. Circuit Courts," September 29, 2010
- ↑ Times Union, "Halligan confirmed to Court of Appeals, cementing liberal majority," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ The White House, Press Release: "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 9/29/10"
- ↑ Judicial Nomination Materials
- ↑ Associated Press "Republicans block Obama appellate court nominee," December 6, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate" 6/11/2012
- ↑ "President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit" 6/11/2012
- ↑ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate" 9/19/2012
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "113th Congress Nomination Materials," accessed April 25, 2014
- ↑ "Statement by the President on the Withdrawal of the Nomination of Caitlin Halligan" 3/22/2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Huff Post Politics, "Caitlin Halligan, Appeals Court Nominee, Blocked By GOP Amid Opposition From Gun Industry," March 6, 2013
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: New York," accessed September 12, 2021
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 New York State, "The Constitution of the State of New York," accessed September 12, 2021 (Article VI)
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