Under the leadership of recently elevated Chief Judge Rowan Wilson and with the addition of Judge Caitlin Halligan, the New York Court of Appeals is ushering in a new era. Prior to last August's abrupt resignation of then-Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, the seven-member court was controlled by four relatively conservative judges who routinely voted as a block, rarely siding in favor of civil rights or against law enforcement. With Judge DiFiore's departure and Judge Halligan's arrival, the Court of Appeals is now much more balanced, opening the door to a more progressive approach to civil rights and civil liberties.