Outgoing Court of Appeals Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick is joining the law firm of Greenberg Traurig on Jan. 14, a day before Gov. Andrew Cuomo is due to select her replacement on the state’s highest court.

“I am excited about the next chapter of my career and looking forward to working with the talented attorneys at Greenberg Traurig, where I will have the opportunity to work on and develop complex legal matters and mentor many junior lawyers,” Ciparick said in a statement released by Greenberg Traurig earlier today. “I am also looking forward to continuing my commitment to public service.”

Cuomo has seven judicial candidates to choose from to replace Ciparick, the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Court of Appeals, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.

She was first appointed by Cuomo’s father Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1994 and re-appointed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007.

Cuomo has an additional vacancy to fill on the court following the death of Judge Theodore Jones in November. A new list of candidates from the judicial nominating commission is due to Cuomo’s desk by March 7.

And, should Cuomo win a second term in 2014 and serve all four years, he has the chance to appoint all seven judges to the Court of Appeals.

Share|