Hon. Edwin H. Stern was featured as a Presenter for “Princeton Over 55 Community”

The Honorable Edwin H. Stern (Ret.), Special Counsel at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. was a featured speaker who discussed the topic of judicial ethics, comparing the state and federal systems in a presentation to the Princeton Over 55 Community. Of relevance to the presentation that was made on Judicial Ethics, following his retirement, Judge Stern served a maximum 12-year term on the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct until August 2023. He continues to serve as a special ethics master hearing attorney discipline cases and writing reports and recommendations regarding complaints filed against attorneys for violating the rules of professional conduct. The event took place on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Some of the specific subjects that were covered include:

1.  The selection, nomination, and confirmation process of federal judges (including the United States Supreme Court) and New Jersey state judges (including the New Jersey Supreme Court).  The assignment process of New Jersey judges and impact of vacancies.
2.  The federal and State Codes of Judicial Conduct and Court Rules; rules relating to recusals, disqualifications and prohibited personal activities. 
3.  The impact of prohibited judicial conduct on Spouses and families of judges (including investments and political and community activity).
4.  Gifts to judges and family members; use of names in connection with fundraising and honorariums.
5.  The benefits and disadvantages of term limits, age limits, life tenure and reappointments and the differences in the federal and New Jersey state systems, including mandatory retirement in New Jersey at age 70 and “recall service.”

Brief Bio about Judge Stern

Retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Edwin H. Stern is a native of New Jersey having lived in the Oranges, Essex County, his entire life until preparing for retirement when he moved to an “over 55 community” in Monroe Township in 2010. He graduated Rutgers University, magna cum laude, in 1963, where he served as Student Council President and President of the Crown and Scroll Honor Society. He is also a graduate of the Columbia University Law School in 1966, after which he clerked for a Presiding Judge (then called Senior Judge) of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, was admitted to the Bar in November 1966 and entered private practice in 1967.

In his 57 years of admission to the Bar, Judge Stern held various positions in government, including First Assistant and Acting Prosecutor of Hudson County, Director of Criminal Practice in the Administrative Office of the New Jersey Courts, Deputy Attorney General in charge of Appellate Litigation in the Division of Criminal Justice, and Assistant Administrative Director of the Courts for Legal Services.

Judge Stern was appointed to the Superior Court by Governor Brendan T. Byrne in 1981 and reappointed for tenure by Governor Thomas H. Kean in 1987. He was assigned to the Appellate Division in 1985 by Chief Justice Robert Wilentz where he became a Presiding Judge in 1987 and Presiding Judge for Administration (now called Chief Judge) from 2004 to his mandatory retirement at age 70 in June 2011. In his last Term of service, he was temporarily assigned to the New Jersey Supreme Court to fill a vacancy until his mandatory retirement on his 70th birthday, June 10, 2011.  He now does mediations and arbitrations and consults for attorneys at the law firm of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden in Hackensack and Holmdel, New Jersey.

Judge Stern has been married to his wife, Beverly, for 53 years. They have three sons and two grandsons.

To read more about Judge Stern, click here.