State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) has a good initial impression of Fabiana Pierre-Louis.
“Just by what I’ve read, she appears to be a very well-prepared person for the position. I am happy about the fact that she is a woman, and especially a woman of color. I think those are two incredibly good positions,” the senator said, adding that Pierre-Louis’s confirmation would come down to her background.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday announced his intent to nominate Pierre-Louis, a 39-year-old former federal prosecutor who is now a partner at Montgomery McCracken, to replace Associate Justice Walter Timpone, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on November 10.
If confirmed, Pierre-Louis would become the first black woman to sit on New Jersey’s high court.
Pou and the prospective judge have spoken, though the Senator said she did not personally know the nominee.
“She did reach out to me,” she said. “We had a brief conversation. I look forward to meeting with her and speaking further with her once we have additional information.”
