Irvington Native May Become 1st Black Woman On NJ Supreme Court

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The first black woman to serve on New Jersey’s highest court may be an Irvington native, officials say.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced his intention to nominate Fabiana Pierre-Louis to the New Jersey Supreme Court to fill the seat of Associate Justice Walter Timpone, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 later this year.

Currently a resident of Mount Laurel, Pierre-Louis was raised in Irvington for most of her childhood. Breaking racial barriers isn’t a new experience for the Rutgers Law School graduate, who was the first woman of color to serve as the attorney-in-charge of the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey in Camden and Trenton.

It’s a much-welcomed – and long overdue – move for the state, according to Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver.

“Across this country, there are 33 states which do not have a woman of color on their highest court,” Oliver said. “I cannot wait to see New Jersey leave that list with Fabiana’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.”

There are a few hurdles remaining, according to a statement from the New Jersey Governor’s Office:

“The appointment will first be sent to the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee. With the committee’s approval, the governor will proceed with a formal nomination.”

However, upon confirmation by the state Senate, Pierre-Louis would be the first black woman to serve on the state’s highest court, the governor’s office stated.

“It is extremely humbling to have the opportunity to continue the proud tradition of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s commitment to justice, equality and fairness,” Pierre-Louis said.

Murphy praised Pierre-Louis’ “esteemed legal career, humility, empathy and character.”

“As a first-generation American, Fabiana brings both a sharp legal acumen and the perspective of her own past that will greatly benefit the proceedings of our state’s highest court,” Murphy said.

The governor’s office provided the following biographical information for Pierre-Louis:

“Pierre-Louis is currently is a partner at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, where she previously worked as an associate in her first three years out of law school. Prior to her return to Montgomery McCracken in 2019, Pierre-Louis served for nine years in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and the Attorney-in-Charge of the Camden Office, the first woman of color to hold that position in the history of the District. Prior to serving as the Attorney-in-Charge of the Camden Office, Pierre-Louis also served as the Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Office from November 2016 to December 2018 and was the first woman of color to hold that position as well. While serving in this capacity, Pierre-Louis participated in the creation of Trenton Reentry Court, a program that provides support services to newly released federal offenders. In addition to working in both Trenton and Camden, Pierre-Louis previously worked in the Newark Office in the General Crimes Unit and the Organized Crime and Gang Unit.”

The governor’s office continued:

“Currently a resident of Mount Laurel, Pierre-Louis was raised in Irvington for most of her childhood. She received a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and graduated from Rutgers Law School-Camden with High Honors. Immediately following law school, Pierre-Louis served as a law clerk for the Honorable John E. Wallace, Jr. of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, who occupied the seat for which she will be nominated. Pierre-Louis is a board member of the Rutgers Law School-Camden Alumni Association and a trustee with the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. She is a prior board member of the Haitian American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, and a member of the Garden State Bar Association, and the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey.”

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