Before 1947 and particularly after 1844, the structure of the New Jersey state judiciary was incredibly complex. In some cases, it is not entirely clear whether the following justices served on the Supreme Court of New Jersey (1776–), the New Jersey Court of Common Pleas (1704–1947), or the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals (1844–1947).
| Justice | Position | Succeeded | Tenure | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Stockton (1730–1781) | – 1776 (Elected to Continental Congress) | ||||
| John De Hart (1730–1781) | – February 1777 (Replaced for failure to attend) | ||||
| Isaac Smith (1740–1807) | – 1804 | ||||
| Robert Morris (1742–1814) | – May 25, 1779 (Resigned) | ||||
| John Cleves Symmes (1742–1814) | – 1778 | ||||
| David Brearley[1] (1745–1790) | R. Morris | – September 26, 1789 (Elevated to U.S. District Court) | |||
| James Kinsey[2] (1731–1802) | D. Brearley | – January 4, 1802 (Died) | |||
| Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756–1831) | – 1808 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| Andrew Kirkpatrick (1756–1831) | J. Kinsey | – 1825 | |||
| William Rossell (1760–1840) | – 1826 (Elevated to U.S. District Court) | ||||
| William Sanford Pennington (1757–1826) | – 1813 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | ||||
| Mahlon Dickerson (1770–1853) | – 1815 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | ||||
| Samuel L. Southard (1787–1842) | – 1820 (Elected to U.S. Senate) | ||||
| Charles Ewing[3] (1780–1832) | A. Kirkpatrick | – August 5, 1832 (Died) | |||
| Joseph Coerten Hornblower (1777–1864) | C. Ewing | – 1844 (Continued as Chief Justice) | |||
| William L. Dayton (1807–1864) | – 1842 (Appointed to U.S. Senate) | ||||
| Justice | Position | Succeeded | Tenure | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Coerten Hornblower (1777–1864) | – 1846 (Resigned) | ||||
| Joseph Fitz Randolph (1803–1873) | – 1852 (Resigned) | ||||
| Elias B. D. Ogden (1800–1865) | – February 24, 1865 (Died) | ||||
| Garret D. Wall (1783–1850) | – November 22, 1850 (Died) | ||||
| Daniel Haines (1801–1877) | – 1866 | ||||
| Lucius Elmer (1793–1883) | – 1859 | ||||
| Peter Vrendenburgh (1805–1873) | – 1868 | ||||
| Edward W. Whelpley (1818–1864) | – 1861 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| John Van Dyke (1807–1878) | – 1866 | ||||
| Edward W. Whelpley (1818–1864) | – 1864 | ||||
| George Houston Brown (1810–1865) | – August 1, 1865 (Died) | ||||
| Lucius Elmer (1793–1883) | – 1869 | ||||
| Mercer Beasley (1815–1897) | – February 19, 1897 (Died) | ||||
| Joseph D. Bedle (1831–1894) | – January 19, 1875 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | ||||
| Edward W. Scudder (1822–1893) | – February 3, 1893 (Died) | Theodore Fitz Randolph | |||
| Bennett Van Syckel (1830–1921) | – 1904 | ||||
| Jonathan Dixon (1839–1906) | – May 21, 1906 (Died) | Joseph D. Bedle | |||
| Alfred Reed | – 1895 | ||||
| Joel Parker (1816–1888) | – January 2, 1888 (Died) | ||||
| William J. Magie (1832–1917) | – 1897 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| Charles G. Garrison (1849–1924) | J. Parker | – 1893 (Resigned) | |||
| David A. Depue (1826–1902) | – 1900 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| Manning M. Knapp (1825–1892) | – January 26, 1892 (Died) | ||||
| George Theodore Werts (1846–1910) | M. Knapp | – January 17, 1893 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | Leon Abbett | ||
| Job H. Lippincott (1842–1900) | G. T. Werts | – 1900 (Died) | George Theodore Werts | ||
| Joseph H. Gaskill (1851–1935) | – 1896 | ||||
| Leon Abbett (1836–1894) | – December 4, 1894 (Died) | ||||
| William Stryker Gummere (1852–1933) | – November 19, 1901 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| George C. Ludlow (1830–1900) | – December 18, 1900 (Died) | ||||
| Charles G. Garrison (1849–1924) | – 1920 (Resigned) | ||||
| William H. Vredenburgh | – 1916 | John W. Griggs | |||
| Gilbert Collins (1846–1920) | – 1903 (Resigned) | ||||
| William J. Magie (1832–1917) | M. Beasley | – 1900 (Elevated to Chancellor of the Court of Errors and Appeals) | |||
| David A. Depue (c. 1827–1902) | W. J. Magie | – 1901 (Resigned) | Foster M. Voorhees | ||
| John Franklin Fort (1852–1920) | – 1907 (Elected Governor of New Jersey) | ||||
| William Stryker Gummere (1852–1933) | D. Depue | – 1933 (Died) | |||
| Mahlon Pitney (1858–1924) | – 1908 | ||||
| Thomas Whitaker Trenchard (1863–1942) | – 1941 (Resigned) | ||||
| Charles Wolcott Parker (1862–1948) | – 1942 | ||||
| James J. Bergen (1847–1923) | – 1915 | ||||
| Charles C. Black (1858–1947) | – 1939 | James Fairman Fielder | |||
| Frank S. Katzenbach (1868–1929) | – March 13, 1929 (Died) | Edward I. Edwards | |||
| Joseph Lamb Bodine (1883–1950) | – 1948 | ||||
| Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) | – 1946 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| Ralph W. E. Donges (1875–1974) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| Thomas J. Brogan (1889–1965) | – 1933 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| Joseph B. Perskie (1885–1957) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| Harry Heher (1889–1972) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| Thomas J. Brogan (1889–1965) | W. S. Gummere | – 1946 (Resigned) | |||
| Newton Hazelton Porter (1815–1897) | – 1945 | ||||
| Frederic R. Colie (1895–1974) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| A. Dayton Oliphant (1887–1963) | N. H. Porter | – 1946 | Walter Evans Edge | ||
| Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) | T. Brogan | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | |||
| William A. Wachenfeld (1889–1969) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| Howard Eastwood (1884–1976) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| Albert E. Burling (1891–1960) | – 1948 (Constitution of 1947) | ||||
| Justice | Position | Succeeded | Tenure | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur T. Vanderbilt (1888–1957) | Inaugural | – June 16, 1957 (Died) | Alfred E. Driscoll | ||
| 2 | Albert E. Burling (1891–1960) | Inaugural | – October 29, 1960 (Died) | |||
| 3 | Harry Heher (1889–1972) | Inaugural | – March 20, 1959 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 4 | William A. Wachenfeld (1889–1969) | Inaugural | – February 24, 1959(Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 5 | A. Dayton Oliphant (1887–1963) | Inaugural | – October 28, 1957 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 6 | Clarence E. Case (1877–1961) | Inaugural | – 1952 (Resigned) | |||
| 7 | Henry E. Ackerson Jr. (1880–1970) | Inaugural | – 1952 (Resigned) | |||
| 8 | Nathan L. Jacobs (1905–1989) | C. Case | – 1975 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 9 | William J. Brennan Jr. (1906–1997) | H. E. Ackerson | – 1956 (Elevated to U.S. Supreme Court) | |||
| 10 | Joseph Weintraub (1908–1977) | W. J. Brennan | – 1957 (Continued as Chief Justice) | Robert Meyner | ||
| 10 | Joseph Weintraub (1908–1977) | A. Vanderbilt | – 1973 | |||
| 11 | Haydn Proctor (1903–1996) | A. Oliphant | October 28, – 1973 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 12 | John J. Francis (1903–1984) | J. Weintraub | – 1973 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 13 | Frederick Wilson Hall (1908–1984) | W. Wachenfeld | – February 1975[4] (Resigned) | |||
| 14 | C. Thomas Schettino (1907–1983) | H. Heher | – 1972 | |||
| 15 | Vincent S. Haneman (1902–1978) | A. Burling | – 1971 | |||
| 16 | Worrall Frederick Mountain (1909–1992) | V. Haneman | – 1979 | William Cahill | ||
| Pierre P. Garven (1925–1973) | C. T. Schettino[5] | – September 1973 (Continued as Chief Justice) | ||||
| 17 | Mark Sullivan (1911–2001) | J. Francis | – August 11, 1981 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 18 | Robert L. Clifford (1924–2014) | P. Garven[6] | – 1994 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 19 | Morris Pashman (1912–1999) | H. Proctor | – 1982 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 20 | Pierre P. Garven (1925–1973) | J. Weintraub | – October 19, 1973 (Died) | |||
| 21 | Richard J. Hughes (1909–1992) | P. Garven | – August 10, 1979 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 22 | Sidney Schreiber (1915–2009) | N. Jacobs | – 1984 (Resigned) | Brendan Byrne | ||
| 23 | Alan B. Handler (1931–2024) | F. W. Hall | – 1999 (Resigned) | |||
| 24 | Stewart G. Pollock (1932–) | W. F. Mountain | – 1999 (Resigned) | |||
| 25 | Robert Wilentz (1927–1996) | R. Hughes | – July 23, 1996 (Died) | |||
| 26 | Daniel Joseph O'Hern (1930–2009) | M. Sullivan | – 2000 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 27 | Marie L. Garibaldi (1934–2016) | M. Pashman | November 17, – 2000
| Thomas Kean | ||
| 28 | Gary S. Stein (1933–) | S. Schreiber | January 11, – 2002 (Resigned) | |||
| 29 | James H. Coleman (1933–2024) | R. Clifford | – 2003 | Christine Todd Whitman | ||
| 30 | Deborah Poritz (1936–) | R. Wilentz | – October 25, 2006 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 31 | Peter Verniero (1959–) | S. Pollock | – 2004 (Resigned) | |||
| 32 | Virginia Long (1942–) | A. Handler | – March 1, 2012 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 33 | James R. Zazzali (1937–) | D. J. O'Hern | – October 26, 2006 (Continued as Chief Justice) | |||
| 34 | Jaynee LaVecchia (1954–) | M. Garibaldi | – December 31, 2021 (Retired) | |||
| 35 | Barry T. Albin (born 1952) | G. Stein | – July 6, 2022(Retired) | James McGreevey | ||
| 36 | John E. Wallace Jr. (1953–) | J. Coleman | – May 20, 2010 (Not re-nominated) | |||
| 37 | Roberto A. Rivera-Soto (1953–) | P. Verniero | – August 31, 2011 (Not re-nominated) | |||
| 33 | James R. Zazzali (1937–) | D. Poritz | – June 17, 2007 (Mandatory retirement) | Jon Corzine | ||
| 38 | Helen E. Hoens (1937–) | J. Zazzalli | – October 26, 2013 (Not re-nominated) | |||
| 39 | Stuart Rabner (born 1960) | J. Zazzali | – Incumbent | |||
| 40 | Anne Patterson (born 1959) | R. Rivera-Soto | – Incumbent | Chris Christie | ||
| 41 | Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina (1952–) | H. Hoens | – February 15, 2022 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 42 | Lee Solomon (born 1954) | V. Long | – August 17, 2024 (Mandatory retirement) | |||
| 43 | Walter F. Timpone (1950–) | J. Wallace (2011) | – August 31, 2020 | |||
| 44 | Fabiana Pierre-Louis (1980–) | W. Timpone | – Incumbent | Phil Murphy | ||
| 45 | Douglas M. Fasciale (1960–) | F. Fernandez-Vina | – Incumbent | |||
| 46 | Rachel Wainer Apter (1980/1981–) | J. LaVecchia | – Incumbent | |||
| 47 | Michael Noriega (1977/1978–) | B. Albin | – Incumbent | |||
On May 3, 2010, Governor Chris Christie declined to re-nominate John E. Wallace Jr., whose seven-year term expired on May 20, 2010. He was the first Justice of the Supreme Court to be denied tenure in more than a half-century since the adoption of the Constitution of New Jersey in 1947.[7] To fill the vacancy Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed a number of acting judges (known as Judge of the Appellate Division, Temporarily Assigned to the Supreme Court[8]) during an extended period of controversy and conflict with the New Jersey Senate about the court's political composition.[9] [10]
On March 8, 2021, Justice Jaynee LaVecchia announced that she would retire on August 31, 2021, more than three years before her mandatory retirement date.[11] A week later, Governor Phil Murphy announced his intention to nominate Rachel Wainer Apter, the director of the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, to replace LaVecchia.[12] Apter was blocked for 14 months by Republican Senator Holly Schepisi by a process called senatorial consent (similar to the blue slip process for federal judgeships),[13] and was only allowed to move forward after two more justices, Barry T. Albin and Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, had reached retirement age in the interim and Gov. Murphy nominated Republican Douglas M. Fasciale to succeed Fernandez-Vina.[14] Both Apter and Fasciale were confirmed on October 17, 2022.[15] Additionally, Michael Noriega was nominated and confirmed in 2023 to succeed Albin.
LaVecchia vacancy:
Albin vacancy:
Fernandez-Vina vacancy: