Judith Kaye

Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals

Judith Ann Kaye (née Smith;August 4, 1938 – January 7, 2016) was an American lawyer, jurist and the longtime Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, serving in that position from March 23, 1993, until December 31, 2008.

She was the first woman to serve as chief judge, the highest judicial office in New York State, and the longest-serving chief judge in New York history.