Governor Murphy and Acting Governor Way on the Passing of New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice James H. Coleman, Jr.

“We are saddened by the passing of Associate Justice James H. Coleman, Jr., a lifelong trailblazer who served for nearly a decade as the first Black Justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

“Born as the son of a sharecropper in racially segregated Virginia, Justice Coleman’s life embodies the history of inequality and the quest for progress that have always been intertwined in America’s story. Despite growing up in a society pervaded by white supremacy, Justice Coleman served his nation as a U.S. Army Reservist and received his undergraduate and law degrees from two historically Black universities, Virginia State University and Howard University School of Law. After law school, he moved to New Jersey and built a legal career in private practice and at the New Jersey Department of Labor. He became a workers’ compensation judge and then went on to serve in virtually every part of our State’s judiciary, often making history as the first African American to hold those judgeships.

“His career of excellence and unparalleled experience led to his nomination by Governor Christie Whitman to the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1994. When confirmed by the Senate, Justice Coleman became an inspiration to millions of New Jerseyans who finally saw that communities of color could be reflected on our State’s highest court. During his nine years on the Court, he changed the trajectory of our state’s history and left a permanent impact on our State’s jurisprudence.

“Our prayers are with his wife Sophia Coleman, children Kairon and James, and his beloved grandchildren, as well as everyone who knew and loved him. New Jersey will be forever grateful for Justice Coleman’s extraordinary life.”