Change of scenery for judge; resident names to Appellate Division of Superior Court

By: Michelle McGuinness
   Though the black robe of her office will remain the same, Cranbury resident and state Superior Court Judge Amy Piro Chambers is about take on a new challenge.
   Judge Chambers was appointed to the Appellate Division of the court by former Chief Justice James R. Zazzali, who retired on June 17. She will become one of only 35 appellate court judges in the state when she transfers to that court on Aug. 1.
   Judge Chambers currently serves as a trial judge and on various judicial committees in New Brunswick. When her appointment takes effect Aug. 1, she will move to the state’s appellate court where she will hear appeals from the lower courts.
   She said the workload is so great in the Appellate Division that information on cases is delivered to the judges by the box.
   "The work in the Appellate Division is so voluminous," she said.
   Though voluminous, the increased workload should bring Judge Chambers a wider variety of cases. This, along with the prospect of working with other judges on interesting cases, is something she’s looking forward to.
   "It’s a wonderful experience to work with other people who are so familiar with the law," she said.
   The appellate court deals with situations in which someone challenges the ruling of the court in a previous case and tries to have it overturned. Appellate judges travel throughout the state to hear cases. Judge Chamber’s job will entail reading transcripts of the original cases, hearing new testimony and deciding, along with one or two other judges, whether or not the ruling should be overturned.
   "I’m looking forward to the interesting cases because on the trial level we’re normally assigned to one level of the law," she said. "It’ll be a much more diverse case load."
   Judge Chambers served as a law clerk and in private practice before becoming a judge. Judge Chambers, who was appointed as a Superior Court judge by then- Gov. Thomas H. Kean, has been working as a trial court judge for 21 years.
   Judge Chambers said love of the law was one of the things that propelled her toward becoming a judge.
   "I liked being in a position where I could do what was fair," she said.
   David Foley, an attorney at Borrus, Goldin and Foley in North Brunswick, met Judge Chambers during the course of his 42 years practicing law.
   "She’s just so modest," Mr. Foley said. "You just wouldn’t know if you met her on the street how professional, how polished, how studious and how wonderful she is as a judge."
   Mike Schiumo, assistant dean at Fordham University School of Law in Manhattan, said Judge Chambers showed tremendous potential when she was a student at the school.
   Mr. Schiumo said that when Judge Chambers attended the school in 1974, her class was only 8 percent women. Mr. Schiumo said Judge Chambers’ section of the class had only 12 females out of 150 students total. Today, he said, most law schools are split about 50-50 between males and females.
   "We’re just so proud of her. The appointment isn’t surprising," Mr. Schiumo said. "I don’t think they could have made a better selection."
   He said Judge Chambers exemplifies the school’s motto: life in the service of others.
   "When she’s honored with an appointment like this it’s a wonderful validation for the law school and our emphasis on the service of others," he said.
   Mr. Foley said Judge Chambers has aimed at ascending to the Appellate Division for some time and he and the other attorneys who have worked with her are tremendously proud that she has finally achieved that.
   "She has become an extremely well-thought of, well-respected and well-rounded judge," Mr. Foley said.
   Mr. Foley described Judge Chambers as someone who is able to strike a balance in the courtroom between understanding the needs of lawyers and litigants and maintaining control in court.
   "It’s a very hard balance to strike and very few judges can do that perfectly," he said. "She’s as close to doing that perfectly as any judge I’ve met."
   Though her appointment to the appellate court is permanent, Judge Chambers said she likes to think of herself as working one year at a time.
   "The way I’m looking at it is like taking a deep breath at the beginning of the term and coming up for air later," Judge Chambers said.
   Judge Chambers was also recently awarded with the 2007 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the North Jersey Chapter of the Fordham University School of Law Alumni Association.