On October 20th, 2026, Justice Margaret Anne Pui Yee Chan of the Appellate Division, First Department, made New York State history when Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson designated her to preside over a matter before the Court of Appeals. Her appearance marked the first time an Asian American woman has sat on the bench of New York’s highest court, a milestone celebrated across the Asian American Pacific Islander judiciary and legal community.
Photo (L-R): Court of Appeals Associate Judges Shirley Troutman and Jenny Rivera, Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, Appellate Division, First Department Associate Justice Margaret Anne Pui Yee Chan, Court of Appeals Associate Judges Anthony Cannataro, Michael Garcia, and Madeline Singas at Court of Appeals Hall on October 20. Justice Chan made history that day, becoming the first Asian American woman to sit on New York’s highest court.
Her presence on the Court of Appeals reflects a judiciary increasingly committed to representing the diversity of the communities it serves. For many, this moment signifies long-awaited progress in elevating voices and perspectives historically underrepresented at the State’s highest levels of judicial decision making.
Justice Chan’s path to this achievement began far from Albany. Born in Hong Kong, she immigrated to Canada at age seven and later to Brooklyn at fourteen. Her judicial career started in 2006 with her election to the New York City Civil Court, where she became the first Asian immigrant woman to serve as a New York judge. She went on to serve as an Acting Supreme Court Justice beginning in 2012 and was elected to the Supreme Court in 2021, overseeing matters including mass torts, constitutional litigation, and complex commercial disputes.
In 2025, she again broke new ground as the first Asian-born woman judge appointed to any New York appellate court when Governor Kathy Hochul named her to the Appellate Division, First Department. Before joining the bench, Justice Chan practiced immigration and appellate law in Manhattan’s Chinatown and built her legal foundation through years of dedicated study and service, including roles as a senior court attorney and managing editor of her law review.
Justice Chan continues to contribute to the court system through committee service and legal education. Her historic appearance on the Court of Appeals stands as both a personal milestone and a powerful symbol of progress for the AAPI community and the New York judiciary.
Photo: Justice Chan and her husband, New York County Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits, at Albany’s Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court
Written by Hon. L. Austin D’Souza, Supervising Judge, New York City Civil Court
Reprinted with permission from InsideUCS – Intranet of the NYS Unified Court System