Fabiana Pierre-Louis has made history as the first black woman to sit on New Jersey’s Supreme Court after Governor Phil Murphy named her to the state’s highest court.
A partner in Montgomery McCracken’s White Collar and Government Investigations practice group, Pierre-Louis who focuses on complex commercial litigation, white-collar crime, and government investigations is set to take over from Walter Timpone, who bows out in November due to the mandatory retirement age of 70.
“A core tenet of my Administration is a commitment to an independent, fair-minded judiciary that reflects the immense diversity of our great state,” said Murphy, who is a Democrat.
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Before returning to Montgomery McCracken, 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 Branch Office, the first woman of color to hold that position in the history of the District, according to her page on Montgomery McCraken’s website.
As Attorney-in-Charge, Pierre-Louis was responsible for supervising all aspects of criminal matters handled by the Camden Office including criminal trials, investigations, and prosecutions of large-scale mail and wire fraud offenses among others.
With such finesse and experience, Murphy believes strongly that Pierre-Louis would uphold the legacy of John Wallace, the last black justice on the state’s highest court. Fluent in oral Haitian Creole, Pierre-Louis served as a law clerk for the Wallace.
“Many years ago my parents came to the United States from Haiti with not much more than the clothes on their backs and the American dream in their hearts. I think they have achieved that dream beyond measure because my life is certainly not representative of the traditional trajectory of someone who would one day be nominated to the Supreme Court of New Jersey,” the 39-year-old said of her appointment.
For Pierre-Louis’ nomination to take effect she must now be confirmed by the Democrat-led Senate, NBC News reported.
