Poll: Is Harris Qualified for Supreme Court?

As Mayor Bruce Harris appears before the state Senate Judiciary Committee in Trenton Thursday, Chatham Patch wants to know: What do you think of Harris' qualifications?

Harris deflected criticisms this week that he lacks the experience to sit on the New Jersey Supreme Court. He was in January, days after he was sworn in as the borough's mayor.

James Lott Jr., the Chatham Borough's attorney, and Edwin F. Chociey Jr., both of Harris' old firm Riker Danzig, wrote statements supporting Harris that were .

"Bruce is thorough, inquisitive, and insightful in every task that he undertakes. I believe that these are essential skills of an appellate justice and would serve him extremely well if appointed to our State's highest Court," Lott said. 

While Democrats say Harris' lack of courtroom experience detract from his qualifications to sit on the bench, Chociey said "some of the finest judges whom I have appeared before did not come to the bench with a litigation background."

Senate Democrats, however, say Harris' lack of courtroom experience makes him Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, there was "very little on Mr. Harris that we have in terms of his legal background."

Harris works as a finance attorney and is admitted to the bar in New Jersey, New York and Washington. Since 2005, he has been an attorney for Greenberg Traurig LLC in Florham Park.

"He's never been a judge, never been a practicing attorney in court," Scutari said. "He really hasn't done much as a lawyer in terms of what we're going to ask him about, [such as] courtroom experience, ruling on an actual case, the rules of evidence."

Harris graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1973. He also holds an MBA in finance and economics from Boston University, earned in 1979, and a law degree from Yale Law School, earned in 1992.

While serving on the Environmental Commission, Dick Plambeck asked Harris to serve out his term as council member while he served as mayor. Harris stood for election to the council twice since then, once in 2005 and once in 2008.

If Harris is confirmed by the committee, he will resign his role as mayor of Chatham Borough. If approved, he will become the first openly gay man to sit on the state's highest court.

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