The Appellate Division, Third Department occupies a unique position among the three branches of our New York state government, both geographically and legally. Our courthouse is located in the Robert Abrams Building for Law and Justice in the Empire State Plaza, just across the street from the State Capitol, and next door to the Legislative Office Building, where members of the Assembly and Senate keep their Albany offices. Other Empire State Plaza neighbors include the Erastus Corning Tower and the Agency Buildings, housing various executive departments. We are thus quite literally surrounded by our counterparts in state government; this is further revealed in our considerable administrative law caseload, which consistently reveals the balance and interplay between the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

We are reminded of the wisdom and foresight of the individuals who crafted our system of government when we see the separation of powers at work in our courtroom. As the branches occasionally struggle with the scope of their respective powers, and as we in the courts work to uphold our judicial duties without encroaching on our legislative and executive colleagues, it is clear that checks and balances are as fully relevant and important today as they were at our nation’s founding.