Governor Phil Murphy will make a nomination to the state Supreme Court on Monday, with the New Jersey Globe reporting that his pick is 45-year-old Michael Noriega, a former public defender and immigration rights advocate who handled litigation for the American Civil Liberties Union.
If confirmed by the State Senate, Noriega would fill the seat vacated by Barry Albin, another liberal who retired after 19 years on the court after hitting the mandatory retirement age of 70 in July 2022.
Noriega currently works as a partner at the Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan law firm, where he specializes in immigration law.
The Globe says Murphy will make the nomination official on Monday, which would be his fourth Supreme Court pick since becoming governor in 2018. He previously nominated Fabiana Pierre-Louis in 2020, Rachel Wainer Apter in 2021, and Douglas Fasciale, a Republican, in 2022.