The Society’s Oral History Project, begun in 2005, consists of recorded interviews and transcriptions from judges and lawyers who tell their stories in intimate conversations with former clerks or colleagues. Participants reflect on childhood, events that shaped them, and their careers on the bench, in public service, and in the practice of law. Judges are invited to participate after they have retired from the bench.
These interviews are not intended to present a complete, verified description of events. They are personal recollections and perceptions. They are unique and irreplaceable, with a special cadence that comes from hearing a unique voice tell each story.
The Society prepares a transcript of each interview. Transcripts are then edited by:
- Interviewees and their interviewers,
- NYS Court of Appeals (in the case of Court of Appeals judges), and
- NYS Law Reporting Bureau.
The Law Reporting Bureau conforms transcripts to consistent protocols, providing citations of cases, statutes, and biographical information for public figures. Some oral histories are noted as subject to future annotation and technical revision. In these transcripts, footnotes supplying citations of cases and statutes and biographical information for public and historical figures mentioned in the transcript may be added. In addition, formatting and similar irregularities may be corrected and page numbering may be adjusted accordingly.
The final version of a transcript is then added to this archive and made available to the public. No part of any such transcript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Society. Certain interviews were conducted outside the Society’s Oral History Project and are noted.
All uses of both transcripts and videos are authorized by signed agreements between interviewees, interviewers, and the Historical Society of the New York Courts. All copyrights and literary rights in the transcripts, including the right to publish, are reserved by the Society. No part of any transcript may be quoted for publication without written permission.
Requests for permission should be emailed to the Society here. The request should identify:
- The user,
- The intended use of the materials, and
- The passages to be quoted.
These oral histories are personal recollections and perceptions of the interviewees. These histories are not intended to present a complete, verified description of events, nor are they positions or opinions of the Historical Society of the New York Courts.
During the transcription and editing process, interviewees were able to correct instances where they misspoke and to clarify comments they made. As such, the language in an oral history video may differ from the language in the corresponding transcript. Public uses of both transcripts and videos are authorized by signed agreements between interviewees, interviewers, and the Society.
The Society asks all writers who use these materials to quote from and cite the corrected transcript.
Other New York State Judges
Expanding Upon Our Oral History Project
The Society has produced the following videos and materials which relate to the themes addressed in the Society’s Oral History Project, reflecting contributions to New York’s jurisprudence.
A Mini-Oral History of Hon. Paul G. Feinman, 1960-2021
Honoring Lady Justice: Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Hon. Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick, Hon. Victoria A. Graffeo, Hon. Susan Phillips Read, Hon. Jenny Rivera (2013)
At the Helm: A 30 Year Legacy of Leadership (2015)
Hon. Sol Wachtler, Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Hon. Jonathan Lippman
Passing the Gavel: Continuity, Collaboration and Transition (2016)
Hon. Jonathan Lippman & Hon. Janet DiFiore
Get to Know: The Four Presiding Justices of the Appellate Divisions (2017)
Hon. Peter Tom, Hon. Randall T. Eng, Hon. Karen K. Peters, Hon. Gerald J. Whalen
- The Bench and Bar by Hon. Benjamin N. Cardozo
- Detail Work of the New York Court of Appeals by Hon. Frederick E. Crane
- New York’s Court of Appeals: A Personal Perspective by Hon. Richard C. Wesley
- Reminiscences After Sixty-Four Years at the Bar by Israel T. Deyo
- Letter to Thomas Washington by James Kent
- Remarks on the Retirement of Judge Jasen by Hon. Matthew J. Jasen