NEW YORK, NY December 04, 2008 —The state's judicial selection commission earlier this week submitted a slate of seven candidates to the governor, for him to appoint the next chief judge of the state's high court. Retiring chief judge Judith Kaye is the first woman to hold that office. All seven candidates to succeed her are men.

Here to discuss how the system works and what some of the politics are is Stewart Sterk, a law professor at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. Good morning, Professor Sterk.