With Justice Solomon reaching mandatory retirement age in August, it was widely reported that Governor Murphy would nominate John Hoffman to fill that seat. Today, the Governor did just that.
Hoffman has a lengthy record as a public sector attorney. His resume includes work as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, as an U.S. Attorney in Trenton, and as Director of Investigations in the New Jersey State Comptroller’s Office. Hoffman also served as an Executive Assistant Attorney General and as Acting Attorney General in the Christie administration. He spent some time in private practice at the Washington, DC law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. His current position is as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Rutgers University.
A graduate of Colgate University and Duke Law School, Hoffman lives in Burlington County. He would thus be another South Jersey representative on the Court, just as Justice Solomon, from Camden County, has been. Justice Solomon’s is a Republican seat, but Hoffman is not affiliated with a party. This appointment maintains the tradition since 1948 that neither major party holds more than four seats on the Court.
Initial reactions to the nomination appear to be favorable. It is not yet clear when the Senate will take up this nomination.