John E. Wallace Jr. facts for kids
John E. Wallace Jr. was an important judge in New Jersey. He served on the highest court in the state, the New Jersey Supreme Court. He was born in 1942.
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Early Life and School
John E. Wallace Jr. was born in Pitman, New Jersey, on March 13, 1942. He went to the University of Delaware and earned a degree in 1964. Later, he studied law at Harvard Law School, finishing in 1967.
After school, he joined the United States Army. He served from 1968 to 1970 and became a Captain.
Becoming a Judge
Before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, John Wallace was a lawyer. He was a partner in a law firm called Atkinson, Myers, Archie & Wallace. He also worked as a Municipal Judge for Washington Township.
Later, he became a New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He held this important position starting in 1984.
Serving on the Supreme Court
In 2003, the Governor of New Jersey, James E. McGreevey, chose John Wallace to be a justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court. The New Jersey Senate approved this choice.
He was sworn in on May 20, 2003. He was the only African-American justice on the court at that time. Many people saw him as a fair and balanced judge.
End of His Term
Justice Wallace served on the Supreme Court for seven years. In 2010, Governor Chris Christie decided not to choose him for another term. This was very unusual. It was the first time in over 50 years that a justice was not re-nominated for the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Awards and Recognition
Judge Wallace received many awards for his legal work. These include:
- The Orient of New Jersey Dedicated Service Award (2000)
- The Washington Township Board of Education Appreciation Award (2000)
- An award from the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey (2001)
- The Van J. Clinton award from the Garden State Bar Association (2002)
Personal Life
Justice Wallace lives in Sewell, which is in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. His wife, Barbara, has served as the mayor of Washington Township several times. They have five children together.
