Presently, there are no vacancies on the Appellate Division, First Department although word has it that there will be one at the end of the year. But, as a member of the Governor’s Judicial Screening Committee for the Appellate Division, First Department, I find that trial court judges elected to the Supreme Court are nevertheless constantly interested in learning about the appointment process.

More often than not, these conversations turn into a discussion regarding the qualities that we are looking for in an appellate judge. I have given some thought to this issue in the past (Saxe, “What Makes a Good Appellate Judge?” New York Law Journal, Dec. 2, 2013, pg. 6, col. 4 (Perspective) and believe that a limited return to this topic is warranted at this time.