| "Kaye —
Year in Review, 1996-1997 Term" |
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I conclude by returning, full circle, to the Court's early history. In a State Bar Report of 1894, Walter S. Logan observed that the "organization of our courts and the establishment of our judicial policy is what comes nearest to the everyday life of the people, and on which most depends their progress and their happiness."[48] Obviously, much has changed in society over the past 150 years, and court dockets mirror society. Those original Court of Appeals Judges would likely find little familiar about the subject matter of our cases, as courts increasingly have become the battlefield of first resort in societal conflicts of a distinctly modern vintage. One hundred fifty years ago, the courts were overwhelmingly concerned with private property disputes, like wills, mortgages, promissory notes and deeds. Today, by contrast, we regularly hear appeals concerning child sex abuse, juvenile delinquency, violent crime; commercial cases concerning worldwide mergers and electronic wire transfers; environmental law; mass torts; products liability; suits against government for services and entitlements. Unchanged, however, is a tradition of respectful, thoughtful consideration of weighty, difficult, often cutting-edge legal questions, whether they are statutory, constitutional or common law issues. In a time of rampant criticism and discontent about public institutions, it is easy to lose sight of the manifold contributions courts every day make to an orderly, peaceful, principled society. Indeed, throughout history independent courts, respected by government and the people, have been-and they remain-the cornerstone of a free society. Though we cannot know what the new century will add to our dockets, we can be confident that the Court of Appeals' longstanding commitment to justice and the rule of law will continue to light a path in the years ahead. |
 The Historical Society of the Courts of the State of New York |
