Rowan D. Wilson (born September 3,1960) is an American judge who has served as a judge of the New York Court of Appeals since 2017 and as chief judge of that court since 2023. He is the first African-American to serve as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals.
During his time at Cravath,Swaine &Moore,Wilson eventually headed the firm’s pro bono practice and representing the law firm as a trustee at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Wilson was also the chair of the Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem,providing legal representation to indigent residents of New York.[7]
He was nominated as an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals by Governor Andrew Cuomo on January 15,2017 and was confirmed by the New York State Senate on February 6,2017.[8] Wilson was sworn in as a judge of the Court of Appeals on June 1,2017.[9]
On March 24,2023,Wilson was selected as a finalist under consideration for appointment to the New York Court of Appeals,this time for the position of chief judge following the retirement of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and the subsequent rejection of Justice Hector LaSalle's nomination to that seat by the New York State Senate.[10] On April 10,2023,Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wilson's nomination for Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.[11] On April 18,the New York State Senate confirmed Wilson as Chief Judge by a vote of 40–19.[12] Wilson was sworn in as chief judge on September 12,2023.[13] He is the first African-American to serve as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals.[14][15][8]
Wilson has described himself as a "progressive pragmatist".[16] In 2022,Wilson penned a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the court should not have dismissed a habeas corpus petition that was filed in an effort to obtain an elephant's release from the Bronx Zoo.[17][18]
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