NJ Supreme Court Has No Black Judges. That Could Change Soon – Bloomfield, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An Irvington native and Rutgers Law School graduate with a history of breaking racial barriers has taken another step towards a landmark appointment on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Pierre-Louis, 39, a Mount Laurel resident, was raised in Irvington for most of her childhood.

Gov. Phil Murphy nominated Pierre-Louis to the post in June. She would fill the seat of Associate Justice Walter Timpone, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 later this year.

According to the governor’s office:

“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.”

Her connections to the law school community run deep, the governor’s office added:

“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.”

Senator Nicholas Scutari, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the nomination was “clearly historic,” and that the Irvington native will be able to bring a different set of life experiences and a “greater diversity of opinions” to the state’s highest court.

But he emphasized that Pierre-Louis earned the nod because of her credentials and qualifications, which speak for themselves.

“She could be serving for more than 30 years with the responsibility of passing judgement on significant issues that could impact the lives of generations of New Jersey residents,” Scutari said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com