It came up in many guises, but for lawyers practicing in New Jersey, there was one prevailing news story in 2023: The ongoing shortage of judges in the state’s court system.

Commentators blame the shortage on the unwritten rules of senatorial courtesy, and on what they called a general failure by the governor and state Senate to prioritize judicial appointments. Other factors include an uptick in resignations of judges before the official retirement age, as well as the lucrative opportunities for seasoned judges to become alternative dispute resolution providers.