Judge Susan Read plans to retire after more than 12 years on New York's highest court, which hears appeals from lower courts and often makes case law for the state.
A former deputy counsel to Republican Gov. George Pataki and state Court of Claims judge, she was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2003 by Pataki to a 14-year term.
The 67-year-old judge, who could stay for another 18 months, is retiring Aug. 24.
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman is scheduled to retire at the end of this year after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has named four of the court's seven judges, will fill the vacancies from lists of applicants screened by a commission.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
