About Sol Wachtler
From 1968 until 1991, Sol Wachtler performed as a judge within the New York State judiciary. First elected to the New York State Supreme Court, Five years later he was elected to serve as an Associate Judge with the New York Court of Appeals. In this role, Sol Wachtler made several decisions that garnered him national attention, such as his ruling in a right-to-die case involving increasing the burden of proof of a third party wishing to speak for the patient’s wishes and a libel case in which he ruled on the side of the press in reporting on matters of public importance.
During his last six years of service, Sol Wachtler acted as Chief Judge for the Court of Appeals and had the responsibility for the entirety of the state’s court system. Throughout his tenure, Sol Wachtler sought to improve the judiciary’s infrastructure at all levels. Some of Sol Wachtler’s most noteworthy accomplishments involved developing state commissions to examine minority concerns and gender biases within the courts, as well as creating a workplace diversity program. Other initiatives focused on halting “judge shopping,” supporting the choosing of judges based on merit, improving efficiency, and building commercial and community courts in the state. Respected as a judge, Sol Wachtler served the Board of Directors for the Conference of Chief Justices, received 13 honorary doctorates, and obtained countless National and State Bar Association awards.
Since the 1990s, Sol Wachtler has focused his efforts on helping those with mental health challenges. Active with organizations like The Mosaic School, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Autism Speaks, Inc., and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Sol Wachtler often gains recognition from Mental Health America in New York State and Mental Health America of New York City. A contributor to the legal guidebook Serving Mentally Ill Offenders: Challenges and Opportunities for Mental Health Professionals, Sol Wachtler chairs the Law and Psychiatry Institute of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System as its Chair. Aside from his work in this field, Sol Wachtler also teaches Constitutional Law at the Touro Law School.
Sol Wachtler Links
