Judith Kaye

Judith Ann Kaye (née Smith; August 4, 1938 – January 7, 2016) was an American lawyer and jurist. She was the longtime Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, serving in that position from March 23, 1993 until December 31, 2008.^[1] She was the first woman to serve as chief judge, the highest judicial office in the New York state, and the longest-serving chief judge in New York history.

Judith Kaye
Chairman of the Commission on Judicial Nomination
In office March 31, 2009 – March 31, 2013
Appointed by	David Paterson
Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
In office March 23, 1993 – December 31, 2008
Appointed by	Mario Cuomo
Preceded by	Richard D. Simons
Succeeded by	Jonathan Lippman
Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
In office 1983–1993
Appointed by	Mario Cuomo
Personal details
Born	Judith Ann Smith (1938-08-04)August 4, 1938 Monticello, New York, United States
Died	January 7, 2016(2016-01-07) (aged 77) Manhattan, New York, United States
Alma mater	Barnard College New York University School of Law

Kaye died on January 7, 2016, at her home in Manhattan, New York from cancer, aged 77.^[1]