This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in
New Jersey. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
First (African American) female (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey):
Anne Elise Thompson (1964) in 1979[26][27][28]
First Hispanic American woman (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey):
Esther Salas (1981) in 2006[19][20]
First South Asian American female and first Muslim female (U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey): Rukhsanah L. Singh in 2022[29]
Lilia L. Munoz:[57][58] First Hispanic American female (and Hispanic American in general) to serve as the President of the
Hudson County Bar Association, New Jersey. She is also the first Hispanic female to serve as the Chief Municipal Court Judge in
Union City, New Jersey.
Carmen M. Garcia:[59][60] First Hispanic American female to be appointed to the
Trenton Municipal Court (1988) and first Hispanic American female Chief Judge of Trenton Municipal Court (2001).
Aldona E. Appleton:[62] First female to serve as the President of the Middlesex County Bar Association (1961)
Renee Anthony:[62] First African American (female) to serve as the President of the Middlesex County Bar Association
Yolanda Ciccone:[63] First female to serve as the Middlesex County Prosecutor (2020)
Arlene Quinones-Perez:[64] First female (and Latino American female) to become the City Attorney for Perth Amboy [Middlesex County, New Jersey]
Florence Forgotson (1927):[65][66][67] First female lawyer in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Lori Linskey:[68] First female to serve as the First Assistant Prosecutor for Monmouth County, New Jersey (2017)
Lisa Miralles Walsh:[69] First Hispanic American female assignment judge in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Lourdes Lucas:[69] First Hispanic American (female) judge appointed in the Monmouth Vicinage
Lisa Thornton:[70] First African American (female) judge in
Neptune, Monmouth County, New Jersey (1999)
Rose Danna Ruesch (1935):[71] First female lawyer in Morris County, New Jersey
Katherine Hayden:[72] First female President of the Morris County Bar Association, New Jersey
Dorothy Reeve:[73] First female lawyer in Ocean County, New Jersey
Sadie Pasternack Ranzenhofer (1914):[74] First female lawyer in Passaic County, New Jersey
LaToyia Jenkins Stewart (2000):[75] First African American female judge in Passaic County, New Jersey
Linda H. Samson:[76] First female to serve as the President of the Passaic County Bar Association
Camelia M. Valdes (2001):[36] First Latino American female to serve as the County Prosecutor for Passaic County, New Jersey (2009)
Sandra Lopez:[77] First Hispanic American female judge in Salem County, New Jersey
Mary E. Alward (1898):[78] First female lawyer in Union County, New Jersey
Grace H. Park:[37] First Asian American (and female) to serve as the County Prosecutor of Union County, New Jersey (2013)
Kelly A. Waters:[79] First female Public Defender for Mountainside and Fanwood. She later became a municipal court judge in the Union Township (2007). [Union County, New Jersey]
^Boyd. “First Black Prosecutor in New Jersey Stripped of Power.” New York Amsterdam News, vol. 90, no. 32, Aug. 1999, p. 4. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=2b04e50b-7148-3851-9f60-8fa4a9f888c0.
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in
New Jersey. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
First (African American) female (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey):
Anne Elise Thompson (1964) in 1979[26][27][28]
First Hispanic American woman (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey):
Esther Salas (1981) in 2006[19][20]
First South Asian American female and first Muslim female (U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey): Rukhsanah L. Singh in 2022[29]
Lilia L. Munoz:[57][58] First Hispanic American female (and Hispanic American in general) to serve as the President of the
Hudson County Bar Association, New Jersey. She is also the first Hispanic female to serve as the Chief Municipal Court Judge in
Union City, New Jersey.
Carmen M. Garcia:[59][60] First Hispanic American female to be appointed to the
Trenton Municipal Court (1988) and first Hispanic American female Chief Judge of Trenton Municipal Court (2001).
Aldona E. Appleton:[62] First female to serve as the President of the Middlesex County Bar Association (1961)
Renee Anthony:[62] First African American (female) to serve as the President of the Middlesex County Bar Association
Yolanda Ciccone:[63] First female to serve as the Middlesex County Prosecutor (2020)
Arlene Quinones-Perez:[64] First female (and Latino American female) to become the City Attorney for Perth Amboy [Middlesex County, New Jersey]
Florence Forgotson (1927):[65][66][67] First female lawyer in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Lori Linskey:[68] First female to serve as the First Assistant Prosecutor for Monmouth County, New Jersey (2017)
Lisa Miralles Walsh:[69] First Hispanic American female assignment judge in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Lourdes Lucas:[69] First Hispanic American (female) judge appointed in the Monmouth Vicinage
Lisa Thornton:[70] First African American (female) judge in
Neptune, Monmouth County, New Jersey (1999)
Rose Danna Ruesch (1935):[71] First female lawyer in Morris County, New Jersey
Katherine Hayden:[72] First female President of the Morris County Bar Association, New Jersey
Dorothy Reeve:[73] First female lawyer in Ocean County, New Jersey
Sadie Pasternack Ranzenhofer (1914):[74] First female lawyer in Passaic County, New Jersey
LaToyia Jenkins Stewart (2000):[75] First African American female judge in Passaic County, New Jersey
Linda H. Samson:[76] First female to serve as the President of the Passaic County Bar Association
Camelia M. Valdes (2001):[36] First Latino American female to serve as the County Prosecutor for Passaic County, New Jersey (2009)
Sandra Lopez:[77] First Hispanic American female judge in Salem County, New Jersey
Mary E. Alward (1898):[78] First female lawyer in Union County, New Jersey
Grace H. Park:[37] First Asian American (and female) to serve as the County Prosecutor of Union County, New Jersey (2013)
Kelly A. Waters:[79] First female Public Defender for Mountainside and Fanwood. She later became a municipal court judge in the Union Township (2007). [Union County, New Jersey]
^Boyd. “First Black Prosecutor in New Jersey Stripped of Power.” New York Amsterdam News, vol. 90, no. 32, Aug. 1999, p. 4. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=2b04e50b-7148-3851-9f60-8fa4a9f888c0.