Shirley Tolentino
Shirley A. Tolentino | |
|---|---|
| New Jersey Superior Court | |
| In office 1984–2010 | |
| Nominated by | Thomas Kean |
| Jersey City Municipal Court | |
| In office 1976–1984 | |
| Nominated by | Paul T. Jordan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1943 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 2010[1][2] |
| Spouse | Dr. ErnestoTolentino |
Shirley Tolentino (1943–2010) was the first black woman to serve on the New Jersey Superior Court and was the first black woman appointed to the Jersey City Municipal Court and to serve as its presiding judge. She served as president of National Association of Women Judges.
Background
Born and raised in
Career
Shirley Tolentino was the first black woman to serve on the Superior Court and was the first black woman appointed to the Jersey City Municipal Court and to serve as its presiding judge.
Tolentino worked as a legal editor for Prentice-Hall from 1971 to 1972 and as an adjudicator for the
Governor of New Jersey Thomas Kean nominated Tolentino to the Superior Court in January 1984. She sat in the civil, criminal and family divisions during a 26-year period.[1]
Judge Tolentino served on the Supreme Court Task Force on Minorities and was a member of the National Association of Women Judges, serving as president in 1996-97[1]
Awards and honors
Tolentino received an honorary degree from
The intersection where the Hudson County Administration Building is situated was named in her honor in March 2012.[4]
In 2014, a new postal facility on MLK Drive in Jackson Hill, Jersey City was designated the Shirley A. Tolentino Post Office Building in her honor.[3][6]
See also
- List of African-American jurists
- List of first women lawyers and judges in New Jersey
References
- ^ a b c d e "Judge Shirley Tolentino". New Jersey Courts. Archived from the original on 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
- ^ Obituary (October 31, 2010). "Judge Shirley A. Tolentino". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
- ^ a b McDonald, Terrence T (March 22, 2013). "Bill introduced to name MLK Drive post office after late, 'trailblazing' Judge Shirley A. Tolentino". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
- ^ a b "Jersey City to Honor the Life of Judge Shirley A. Tolentino Street Renaming of the Corner of Baldwin & Newark Avenues" (PDF) (Press release). City of Jersey City. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
- ^ Cook, Joan (August 17, 1976). "Jersey City Gets a Black Woman as Municipal Judge". The New York Times.
- ^ House of Representatives (March 24, 2014). "JUDGE SHIRLEY A. TOLENTINO POST OFFICE BUILDING". beta.congress.gov/. Retrieved 2014-09-18.