We recently congratulated Hector D. LaSalle, a highly experienced jurist, on his nomination to be Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.

While the New York County Lawyers Association—a bar association that represents more than 7,000 attorneys—does not endorse or evaluate judicial candidates, we feel compelled to issue the following statement, because Gov. Kathy Hochul's nomination of Justice LaSalle has been subjected to certain criticisms that, in our view, threaten judicial independence.