Irvington Native Joins NJ Court Trailblazers: Black History Month

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — In a sense, Fabiana Pierre-Louis got her first taste of the legal profession when she was just a kid.

“My family would always joke and call me an attorney because I would often quickly come to my siblings’ defense when they were in trouble,” the New Jersey Supreme Court justice recalls, smiling at the memory.

To commemorate Black History Month, Pierre-Louis – who made history as the court’s first Black woman justice last year – recently spoke about her respect for the people who paved her way. (Watch the video below)

Her heroes include her mentor, former justice John Wallace Jr., for whom she clerked, and James Coleman Jr., the first Black person to sit on the court. Both are “trailblazers” in legal circles, as well as the Black community in New Jersey, Pierre-Louis said.

“I know the importance of having someone – or multiple people – to guide you through this profession,” she emphasized.

And it’s something she’s glad to pay forward.

“Being the first Black woman on the New Jersey Supreme Court is certainly an honor,” Pierre-Louis said. “And for the next generation of attorneys – for the next generation of Black women attorneys – I think it’s wonderful that they see someone who looks like them on the highest court in the state.”

Since joining the court, Pierre-Louis has yet to sit in the same room with all of her peers due to the coronavirus pandemic. But through a nonstop grind of virtual meetings, she’s gotten to know her fellow justices, who have all been “extremely welcoming” to her.

“All the members of the court have been wonderful,” Pierre-Louis affirmed.

Pierre-Louis, a Mount Laurel resident, was raised in Essex County for most of her childhood. Read More: Irvington Native Set To Become 1st Black Woman On NJ Supreme Court

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