But how are their decisions to be known?

	The fifth official Reporter, Nicholas Hill, Jr., was born in the Town of Florida, New York, in 1805, the son of a Revolutionary War veteran and preacher. After leaving home at an early age, he held a variety of positions before studying law, culminating in his admission to the bar in 1829. Hill began legal practice in Amsterdam, New York, and, while so engaged, coauthored the esteemed treatise Notes on Phillips' Evidence with fomer Reporter and Supreme Court Judge Esek Cowen. Hill relocated to Albany in 1840 and shortly thereafter was appointed Reporter of the Supreme Court and Court of Errors, succeeding John L. Wendell. During his four-year tenure as Reporter, Hill published seven volumes of the Reports. In 1845 he returned to private practice, joining with Peter Cagger and future Court of Appeals Judge John K. Porter to form Hill, Cagger & Porter, one of the prominent law firms in the state. During the ensuing years of active practice, Hill appeared in over three quarters of the cases on the Court of Appeals docket. He remained active in the legal profession until his death, after a brief illness, on May 1, 1859. (Portrait courtesy of the Court of Appeals Collection)
	Born in Rome, New York, on May 21, 1799, Hiram Denio commenced his legal studies at the age of 17 with Judge Joshua Hathaway of Rome and later studied in the office of Storrs & White in Whitesboro. After admission to the bar in 1821, Denio established a private practice with Wheeler Barnes in Rome. While in Rome, he was appointed County District Attorney, serving in this position from 1825 to 1834. In 1826, he relocated to Utica, forming another legal practice, this time with E.A. Wetmore. In 1834 he was appointed Circuit Judge and Vice-Chancellor for the 5th Circuit. However, four years later, he was forced to resign due to illness, returning to private practice once more. He served as Bank Commissioner from 1838 to 1840. In 1845 Judge Denio assumed the position of Reporter, publishing five volumes of the Reports before leaving the post in 1848. Appointed to fill a vacancy on the Court of Appeals in June 1853, he was reelected twice, serving as Chief Judge from 1856 through 1857. Considered one of the foremost judges in New York, he retired in 1866. Judge Denio served as trustee of Hamilton College from 1835 until his death. In 1859, Madison University (now Colgate University) awarded him the honorary degree of LLD. With William Tracy, he edited an edition of the revised statutes of New York published in 1852. Judge Denio died in Utica, New York, on November 5, 1871. (Portrait courtesy of the Court of Appeals Collection)
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