A state commission has put seven lawyers on the short list for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's pick to be New York's next top judge.
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, now 70, must retire at the end of the year as the presiding judge at the state Court of Appeals and chief administrator of the court system.
The post pays $198,600 a year. The term is 14 years.
The seven include former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore and former New York Chief Administrative Judge Gail Prudenti, now executive director of the Center for Families, Children and the Law at Hofstra University.
Others culled from 33 applicants and found well qualified are private practice attorneys Carey R. Dunne, Caitlin J. Halligan, Rowan D. Wilson and Stephen P. Younger.
Copyright 2015, The Associated Press.
