Emergence of the Common Law, The Anglo-Saxon Dooms, 601-1020 AD, Part 1: Dooms of the Kingdom of Kent

Posted on Categories Blog, Early Legal History, The Rule of Law
This post is by Frances Murray, former librarian of the New York Court of Appeals and expert on legal history. This is the first post in a series on the development of the rule law.

In his seminal work, The Nature of the Judicial Process, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal Benjamin Nathan Cardozo wrote of the land of mystery when constitution and statute are silent, and the judge must look to the common law for the rule that fits the case. He is the “living oracle of the law” in Blackstone’s vivid phrase.

The New York jurist Chancellor James Kent, known as the father of American jurisprudence, described the process by which the common law grew into use by gradual adoption, and received, from time to time, the sanction of the courts of justice, without any legislative act or interference. It was the application of the dictates of natural justice, and of cultivated reason, to particular cases.  In the just language of Sir Matthew Hale, the common law of England is “not the product of the wisdom of some one man, or society of men, in any one age; but of the wisdom, counsel, experience, and observation, of many ages of wise and observing men. Continue reading

The 100th Anniversary of Judge Matthew J. Jasen’s Birth: A Commemoration

Posted on Categories Blog, Court of Appeals Judges1 Comment on The 100th Anniversary of Judge Matthew J. Jasen’s Birth: A Commemoration

On December 13, 1915, Matthew J. Jasen was born in Buffalo, New York. In a public career that spanned much of the 20th century, his achievements were remarkable, including service as a United States Judge in post-war Germany, and 18 years as an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals where he authored more than 800 signed opinions. In later years, he served as Special Master by appointment of the United States Supreme Court. His deeply principled jurisprudence, personal warmth and abiding commitment to the rule of law have been recalled and celebrated many times, including by his friends and colleagues such as Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, Judge Albert M. Rosenblatt, and Judge Eugene F. Pigott, Jr., as well as his law clerks (including two Historical Society trustees, Michael B. Powers and John J. Halloran, Jr.). For its part, the Historical Society has prepared this biographical sketch.

For this Centennial, the Historical Society is pleased to provide access to rare video footage of the ceremony at Court of Appeals Hall in Albany, New York on the occasion of Judge Jasen’s retirement.  On December 17, 1985, the Court of Appeals opened its doors to a television crew from the PBS/WMHT program, “Inside Albany,” who filmed the Judge’s retirement ceremony in the Court’s library and an interview with the Judge in his chambers.  The Historical Society extends its appreciation to WMHT, and Syracuse University, for preserving the episode and making it available to the Historical Society for the benefit of the historical record. Continue reading

Amici Podcast: Judith Kaye on The Commission on Judicial Nomination

Posted on Categories Blog, Court of Appeals Judges, Judicial Elections & Appointments

The Commission on Judicial Nomination—the panel that screens candidates for the Court of Appeals—has been unusually busy. In the past two years, four new judges have joined the court, and in the next couple years the other three jurists on the state’s highest court will step aside—including Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, whose term concludes at the end of 2015. That means Governor Andrew Cuomo will be only the second governor in state history to have appointed all seven judges of the state’s highest court; the other was his father, Governor Mario Cuomo, who left an incredibly balanced court with three Democrats, three Republicans and an independent.

But how does the process work, how does an applicant get to and through the vetting process? Continue reading

From the Executive Director

Posted on Categories Blog, Message from the Director

As we prepare to launch this legal history blog, featuring articles on our unique niche…New York State Legal History, it is clear to me that for this blog to succeed it has to be viewed by all of us as our blog. We will be inviting judges, attorneys, scholars, and authors to consider interesting points of legal history in new ways. We also hope that you will let us know your own ideas for posts of interest, and you are encouraged to submit your topic together with you credentials through our email history@nycourts.gov

We encourage you to be involved in another way. These short pieces are intended to be thought provoking and informative snapshots on a topic. We hope you will be moved to submit your reactions to what you read here by sending your comments to history@nycourts.gov

Seems to me that our world today is all about sharing ideas, interacting, and moving quickly forward. We hope that with your help this blog will give us the opportunity to move from a static portrayal of legal history to a different format…one providing the important function of viewing fast-paced current events in the context of history. We all pay lip service to how history informs our present, well here’s an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. If people can tweet about their breakfast cereal and get untold numbers of responses, with your participation we can surely do the same. Let’s thrust our legal history to the fore and look at the present through the critical lens of the past.

Please join us and enjoy these first posts. Send us your feedback and your ideas for future posts. Share our new blog with your friends and colleagues. People are indeed interested in history and we’re here to provide a unique forum to share our past, our present, and indeed our future.

Marilyn Marcus

Your feedback is appreciated! Please take a few minutes to answer our 5-question survey to let us know what you think about our blog. If you have questions or comments about this article please send an email to history@nycourts.gov.

Judicial Notice 10: 2014

Posted on Categories Judicial Notice, Publications

Issue 10

Download Judicial Notice Issue 10

Judicial Notice 9: 2013

Posted on Categories Judicial Notice, Publications

Issue 9

Download Judicial Notice Issue 9

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