Joseph W Bellacosa

May 07, 2019 | New York Law Journal

Dick Brown and I shared a long and close friendship that allowed us to experience some more playful human anecdotes known to few. In his memory, I proffer them in supplementation of the outpouring of regard and affection that has been published about him and his career.

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

7 minute read

January 24, 2019 | New York Law Journal

The merits of the pay raise proposal are incontestably justified after 20 years of no increases in the base salaries at issue. Yet, the questionable means to the desired end runs squarely into the old adage that would make Machiavelli smile for its audacity.

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

6 minute read

November 27, 2018 | New York Law Journal

Lawsuits typically end with “three little words”: Ordered, Decreed, Adjudged. These potent words almost always result in quiet compliance.

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

5 minute read

July 17, 2018 | New York Law Journal

An example from the early '90s offers some perspective on the subject of the looming confirmation battle of a Supreme Court nominee. The name of then-Governor Mario M. Cuomo was floated, and after a short tease, disappeared into an historical footnote. What happened?

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

5 minute read

May 01, 2018 | New York Law Journal

As a young lawyer then, I regret not paying close enough attention to the classic architectural details of my work space and the whole surrounding environs of that magnificent venue

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

3 minute read

October 12, 2017 | New York Law Journal

Does the New York City Landmarks Commission, a standing entity of the City of New York, have overriding jurisdiction in such matters through its procedural safeguards and substantive portfolio?

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

2 minute read

June 13, 2017 | New York Law Journal

When I was appointed to the Court of Appeals, I was the seventh in a short period chosen by Gov. Mario Cuomo. Remarkably, that seven-member constituency of the court remained unchanged for almost six continuous years.

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

2 minute read

December 22, 2014 | New York Law Journal

Young Abraham Lincoln provides guidance about the modern tendency to override the orderly processes of law. His perspective is highlighted in an excellent book by Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer: "Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion."

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

5 minute read

March 04, 2014 | New York Law Journal

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

5 minute read

March 11, 2011 | New York Law Journal

Alexis DeTocqueville's magnus opus in the late 1830s, "Democracy in America," famously remarked that all political questions somehow find their way into the American judicial legal system. He considered that unique characteristic quite remarkable, and his chapters on our judicial review phenomenon pinpointed that aspect of our tripartite branches experiment in governance, contrasted to European systems. Yet, throughout our judicial history, a counter-theme also emerged that disfavored political questions being allowed into the courts.

By Joseph W. Bellacosa

8 minute read