Virginia Long
New Jersey Supreme Court Justice (ret.)
A trailblazing legal mind who shattered barriers, becoming one of New Jersey's first women on the state Supreme Court after decades of pioneering service in law and justice
Governor Christie Todd Whitman appointed Virginia Long to the state Supreme Court in 1999—making Long only the third woman ever to serve on the state’s highest court. At Rutgers, Long was a pioneer and a high achiever. She was one of only four women in the School of Law–Newark’s Class of 1966. She was captain of Rutgers’ Appellate Moot Court team and winner of the competition prizes for best oralist and best brief. After graduation, she joined the state Attorney General’s office and quickly ascended the governmental and judicial ranks. Governor Brendan T. Byrne appointed her to the New Jersey Superior Court in 1978. She served as the general equity judge for Mercer, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties from 1983–84 before joining the appellate division, where she served for 15 years. She has served several Supreme Court committees, including extrajudicial activities and judicial performance. She has directed the Division of Consumer Affairs; served as banking commissioner; and was a presiding judge in the state Superior Court, Appellate Division. In 1999, she received the law school’s Fannie Bear Besser Award for Public Service. In 2006, she was granted tenure based on the strength of her initial seven years.