Earlier this year, this board called for the appointment of New Jersey judges who were younger, more diverse, and familiar with a wider variety of legal issues. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were basically describing our new state Supreme Court Justice Fabiana Pierre-Louis.

The daughter of immigrants, Justice Pierre-Louis is the first Black woman to serve on the court. At 39, she is the court’s youngest member. Assuming she is reappointed following her initial seven-year term, she will be eligible to serve the court for 30 years.