Several legal groups are urging high-level New York court officials to appoint an Asian American Pacific Islander judge to fill an opening left by new Court of Appeals Judge Anthony Cannataro.

The South Asian Bar Association of New York, Asian American Bar Association of New York, Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York and the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York issued a joint statement on Tuesday. They weighed in on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent judicial appointments to the state Court of Appeals, the Court of Claims and multiple midlevel appellate courts.