Upon retiring from the Court, one of my predecessors, Bernard Botein—who served as Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, from 1958 to 1968 and in whose name the Court awards annual medals to exemplary staff—said that “the judicial robe can be very hampering, sometimes even a straitjacket, when vigorous action is required.” Bernard Botein, Historical Society of the New York Courts.

In the nearly six years it has been my honor to serve as Presiding Justice, I have come to understand what Justice Botein meant. And now, with a heavy heart, I announce that I will be stepping down on March 17. While I love this job, I look forward to pursuing other interests and passions, being unconstrained by my status as a judge and again able to engage in the private practice of law and in robust discussions over the role of the judiciary in defending democracy.