Since the establishment of our nation, the founders envisioned an important role for the judiciary in sustaining our democratic system. The judicial branch later became the bulwark of civil rights and liberties. Article III of the U.S. Constitution established the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary as one of three coequal branches of government. States also put faith in a judicial branch when constructing their own governments. Article VI, Section I, of the New York State Constitution created the Unified Court System, including the Appellate Divisions. Over the last 200 years, state courts became the primary venue for resolving disputes; approximately 95 percent of all litigation in America takes place in state courts.1 Consistent and timely access to state courts is necessary to ensure that individuals and businesses dispose of conflicts efficiently and effectively.
Given New York’s status as a global financial center, the Appellate Division, First Department hears many complex commercial cases and our determinations of these appeals can have wide-reaching implications. Equally important to our justices and staff is our responsibility to the citizens of Manhattan and the Bronx, many of whom come to our court for claims involving “essentials of life” such as housing, subsistence income and access to healthcare. We handle a substantial number of criminal and civil matters. Court records from 2010 indicate that in one year 2,200 appeals were either argued or submitted to be resolved. Because New York’s Court of Appeals is a court of limited jurisdiction, with review powers restricted to questions of law, we are a court of last resort for many litigants.
