NYC Bar Association Issues Evaluations of Candidates

For New York Court of Appeals

The New York City Bar announced today its ratings of candidates recommended by the New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination for appointment to the State’s highest court, the New York Court of Appeals. The term of current Judge Carmen Ciparick has expired and she is eligible to be reappointed.

The evaluations of the five candidates nominated by the Commission are:

• George F. Carpinello, Esq., Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP: Well Qualified
• Hon. Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick, Associate Judge, New York Court of Appeals: Exceptionally Well Qualified
• Jeremy G. Epstein, Esq., Shearman & Sterling: Well Qualified
• Hon. Helen E. Freedman, New York State Supreme Court Justice: Well Qualified
• Steven C. Krane, Esq., Proskauer Rose LLP: Well Qualified

The Association's Executive Committee extensively reviewed the background and qualifications of the candidates. Representatives of the Association's Executive, Judiciary, and State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction Committees interviewed each candidate, reviewed his or her writings, investigated the candidate's background, and interviewed judges and lawyers familiar with the candidate. The full Executive Committee then considered whether to rate each candidate “well qualified” or “not well qualified” or “exceptionally well qualified” for the position of Judge of the Court of Appeals after considering the candidate's intellectual ability, knowledge of the law, integrity, impartiality, judicial demeanor and temperament.

This three-tiered rating was adopted by the Executive Committee in May 2007, and is being utilized for the first time. The criteria for each rating are as follows:

“Well Qualified” : Consistent with the term “well qualified” as it is
set forth in describing the Commission’s mandate in Judiciary Law
Section 63(1) and in Article 6, Section 2 of the Constitution:
candidates “who by their character, temperament, professional
aptitude and experience are well qualified to hold such
judicial office.”

“Not Well Qualified” : Candidates who may be competent
lawyers or judges but, in the judgment of the Executive Committee,
do not meet the requisite standard for “Well Qualified” in
one or more of the constitutional and statutory criteria of
“character, temperament, professional aptitude and
experience.”

“Exceptionally Well Qualified”: A candidate who is
exceptional to the degree that he or she is superior to
others who are “well qualified.” This rating should be given
as an exception and not the norm.

For more information on this release or to arrange for interviews, please contact Oroma Mpi , Press Coordinator, at (212) 382-6713, or by e-mail to: ompi@nycbar.org; or Alan Rothstein , General Counsel, at (212) 382-6623, or: arothstein@nycbar.org.

About the Association
The New York City Bar Association (www.nycbar.org) was founded in 1870, and since then has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the profession, promoting reform of the law, and providing service to the profession and the public. The Association continues to work for political, legal and social reform, while implementing innovative means to help the disadvantaged. Protecting the public’s welfare remains one of the Association’s highest priorities.

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