Rowan D. Wilson

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Rowan Wilson

| office = Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals

| appointer = Kathy Hochul

| term_start = April 18, 2023

| term_end =

| predecessor = Anthony Cannataro (acting)

| successor =

| office1 = Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals

| appointer1 = Andrew Cuomo

| term_start1 = February 6, 2017

| term_end1 = April 18, 2023

| predecessor1 = Eugene F. Pigott Jr.

| successor1 = Caitlin Halligan

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|9|3}}

| birth_place = Pomona, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Stephen |title=Port Resident Rowan Wilson Confirmed to Court of Appeals |url=https://theislandnow.com/news-98/port-resident-rowan-wilson-confirmed-court-appeals |publisher=The Island Now |date=February 7, 2017}}

| education = Harvard University (BA, JD)

| image = File:(04-18-23) Rowan Wilson.jpg

| caption = Wilson in 2023

}}

Rowan D. Wilson (born September 3, 1960) is an American judge who has served as the chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals since 2023. He is the first African American to serve as chief judge.{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Michael |title=1st Black chief judge for New York state confirmed |url=https://apnews.com/article/new-york-chief-judge-1288d590e5bfb8f9fc038a96f1fbffa0 |work=AP News |date=April 18, 2023}}{{cite web|author=Patrick McGeehan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/nyregion/cuomo-rowan-wilson-court-of-appeals.html |title=Cuomo Nominates Rowan Wilson to New York's Highest Court |work=The New York Times |date=2017-01-16 |accessdate=2017-10-19}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/jwilson.htm |title=Honorable Rowan D. Wilson |publisher=Nycourts.gov |date= |accessdate=2017-10-19}}

Early life and education

Wilson was born in Pomona, California, and grew up in Berkeley, California. He graduated from Harvard College in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, and from Harvard Law School in 1984 with a Juris Doctor, where he was an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review.

Career

After serving a two-year term as law clerk to James R. Browning, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Wilson joined the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore as an associate in 1986. In 1992, he became the first African-American partner at Cravath. He remained a litigation partner until 2017, with a practice that included antitrust, intellectual property, securities fraud, and civil rights litigation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cravath.com/people/rowan-d-wilson.html|title=Hon. Rowan D. Wilson|website=Cravath - Hon. Rowan D. Wilson}}

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.{{Cite web |title=New NY Top Judge Went from Cravath to Leading Court Liberal (1) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/n-y-top-judge-pick-went-from-cravath-to-leading-court-liberal |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}

He was nominated as an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals by Governor Andrew Cuomo on January 15, 2017, and confirmed by the New York State Senate on February 6, 2017.

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.{{Cite web |last=Mellins |first=Sam |date=March 24, 2023 |title=New Chief Judge Shortlist Features Previously Excluded Liberal Judges |url=https://www.nysfocus.com/2023/03/24/new-chief-judge-shortlist/ |access-date=April 8, 2023 |website=New York Focus |language=en}}

On April 10, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wilson's nomination for Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.{{Cite news |last=Ferré-Sadurní |first=Luis |date=2023-04-10 |title=Hochul Names a New Candidate to Become New York's Top Judge |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/nyregion/hochul-chief-judge.html |access-date=2023-05-12 |issn=0362-4331}} On April 18, the New York State Senate confirmed Wilson as Chief Judge by a vote of 40–19.{{cite web |last1=DeWitt |first1=Karen |title=Rowan Wilson confirmed as New York's first African American chief judge |url=https://www.wxxinews.org/capitol-bureau/2023-04-18/rowan-wilson-confirmed-as-new-yorks-first-african-american-chief-judge |website=WXXI News |access-date=19 April 2023 |date=18 April 2023}}