Our People

John E. Wallace, Jr., Retired New Jersey Supreme Court Justice, is Counsel to the firm.  He concentrates his practice in mediation, arbitration and complex litigation.

Justice Wallace’s career as a jurist spanned over twenty-five years.  Appointed to the Superior Court of New Jersey in 1984, he was elevated to the Appellate Division in 1992 and nominated and confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2003.  While in the Superior Court, Justice Wallace served in the Criminal and Civil Divisions, as well as the Family Part in Gloucester County.  During his tenure on the bench, Justice Wallace was both well-respected and well-liked.  The New York Times described Justice Wallace as “a sound jurist and political moderate who was the court’s only African-American.”  He has served on the New Jersey Supreme Court Task Force for Minority Concerns, the New Jersey Ethics Commission, the Judiciary Advisory Committee on Americans with Disabilities Act, the Supreme Court Special Committee on Matrimonial Litigation, the Appellate Division Rules Committee and he was the Chair of the Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on Admissions, Chair of the Advisory Board for the Assistance Fund for New Jersey Court Families (Fund Advisory Board), and Vice Chair of the Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on the Uniform Bar Examination.  Justice Wallace has received numerous honors from respected civic and legal organizations, including the Medal of Honor, the Arthur T. Vanderbilt Award for Excellence in Administration, and the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award, each from the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Martin F. Caulfield Distinguished Service Award from the Gloucester County Bar Foundation, the William J. Brennan, Jr. Citation for Justice from Legal Services of New Jersey, the Lawyer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law, the Judge John F. Gerry Award from the Camden County Bar Association, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey, the Van J. Clinton Award from the Garden State Bar Association, the Law and Justice Distinguished Contribution Award from Rider University, the Legacy Award from the Hispanic Bar Association, and the Appreciation Award from the Washington Township Board of Education.

Justice Wallace was the recipient of the Civility in Government and Politics Award of Excellence from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund; the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Law Journal; and the Lifetime Achievement from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Justice Wallace is a member of the Board of Legal Services of New Jersey, the Board of Jefferson Health, and a member of the National Advisory Board to William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy.

Justice Wallace chaired the 2021 New Jersey Redistricting Congressional Committee and is a past Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards.

A college athlete, Justice Wallace is a member of the University of Delaware Wall of Fame and past member of its Board of Trustees.  Justice Wallace continues to enjoy coaching Babe Ruth baseball, high school football, and baseball.  He is a member of several Sports Hall of Fame including Gloucester County, Pitman High School, Washington Township High School, and Washington Township Babe Ruth Baseball.

Justice Wallace received his bachelor degree from the University of Delaware in 1964 and his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1967.

Justice Wallace served in the United States Army from 1968-1970 earning the rank of Captain.

Justice Wallace is a member of the American, New Jersey, Gloucester County and Camden County Bar Associations.

*Martindale-Hubbell Notable® Rating – “This award is conferred by Martindale-Hubbell.  A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://www.martindale.com/ratings-and-reviews/.  No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.”