The AFBNJ Announces Inaugural Simandle Award Honoring Chief Judge Jerome B. Simandle
Caldwell, NJ – August 7, 2019 – The Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey (AFBNJ) is paying homage to the late Chief Judge Jerome B. Simandle, who recently passed away at the age of 70, by instituting an award in his honor. The Simandle Award will be presented annually to a lawyer and/or jurist who has exemplified exceptional service to the bench and the bar of the New Jersey federal court.
The AFBNJ will present the inaugural Simandle Award at the Second Annual Pro Bono Institute on September 20 at the New Jersey Law Center.
Judge Simandle was a federal judge in Camden from 1983 until his passing, first as a magistrate judge from 1983 until 1992, and then as a district court judge. He served as the chief judge of the district from 2012 through 2017, when he went senior status. Ed Kole, AFBNJ President, said, “Judge Simandle was more than a great judge and person, he was a class act and gentleman. He was a judge attorneys wanted to appear before and that the judges of the court looked up to. There are a few people who no one has ever or could ever say a cross word about; Judge Simandle was one of those rare people.”
The Simandle Award will be presented to Thomas R. Curtin, a partner with the law firm of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter. Mr. Curtin is a former Trustee of the AFBNJ, a recipient of the Association’s prestigious Brennan Award, and a former President of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
The Second Annual Pro Bono Institute will take place at the New Jersey Law Center on September 20, 2019 from 9 am until noon. The Pro Bono Institute was founded by the AFBNJ, and is presented this year in association with the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
In addition to the presentation of the Simandle Award, the event will center around panel discussions on the Court’s pro bono and re-entry programs, with speakers including Judges Lois Goodman, Michael Hammer and Karen Williams. Details and registration for this event can be found by clicking here.
