Fabiana Pierre-Louis facts for kids

Fabiana Pierre-Louis is a very important judge in the state of New Jersey. She was born on September 9, 1980. She works as a justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court. This is the highest court in the state. She made history by becoming the first Black woman to serve on this court. Before becoming a judge, she was a lawyer. She worked for the United States government and also at a law firm.

Early Life and School

Fabiana Pierre-Louis was born in New York City. She lived in Brooklyn when she was very young. Later, her family moved to Irvington, New Jersey. Her parents came from Haiti, and she can speak Haitian Creole fluently.

She went to Union Catholic Regional High School. She finished high school in 1998. After that, she went to Rutgers University to get her first college degree. Then, she studied law at Rutgers Law School. She earned a special degree called a Juris Doctor, which means she became a lawyer.

Her Career as a Lawyer and Judge

Fabiana Pierre-Louis started her legal career by working for a judge. She was a law clerk for Justice John E. Wallace Jr. on the New Jersey Supreme Court. This job helped her learn a lot about how courts work.

After that, she worked for almost ten years as a lawyer for the United States government. She was an assistant United States attorney. She even led the government's law offices in Trenton and Camden. Later, she joined a private law firm called Montgomery McCracken. She became a partner there, working in their Cherry Hill office.

Becoming a Supreme Court Justice

In 2020, the Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, decided to nominate Fabiana Pierre-Louis for a big job. He wanted her to become a justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court. She was chosen to replace Justice Walter F. Timpone, who was retiring.

The New Jersey Senate had to approve her nomination. First, a special committee voted 11-0 to support her. Then, on August 27, 2020, the full Senate voted 39-0 to confirm her. This meant she was officially approved for the job.

She was sworn in as a justice on September 1, 2020. This was just one day after Justice Timpone left the court. Her appointment was a historic moment because she became the first Black woman to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

In 2023, there was a chance she might have been nominated for an even higher court. The White House thought about her for a position on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. However, she decided not to pursue that opportunity.

Her Family Life

Fabiana Pierre-Louis is married to Robert Reeves. They have two sons together. As of 2020, her family lives in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

See Also

• Governorship of Phil Murphy
• List of justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey