Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles on the New Jersey State Bar Foundation 2024 Medal of Honor recipients. An interview with the other recipient, retired Assignment Judge Peter F. Bariso Jr., was featured in a prior edition of The Bar Report.
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is proud to bestow the 2024 Medal of Honor, the Foundation’s most prestigious award, to former New Jersey State Bar Association President Karol Corbin Walker.
Walker, of Kaufman Dolowich, LLP, has a record of breaking down racial barriers in service of her fellow attorneys. She was the first Black president of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. Walker was also the first Black female president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents. Over the last 30 years, Walker has served on more than a dozen sections, committees and task forces within the Association, rising to chair of the Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments, Diversity, Finance and Operations, Long-Term Planning and Public Relations Committees. In private practice, Walker focuses on business and commercial litigation, and labor and employment defense matters. Her clients have included many Fortune 500 corporations, publicly and privately – held corporations, financial institutions, entertainers, and insurance companies.
Along with co-Medal of Honor recipient retired Assignment Judge Peter F. Bariso Jr., Walker will be honored during an awards ceremony at the Park Chateau in East Brunswick on Sept. 24.
“The Medal of Honor recognizes professional excellence, leadership, commitment and service to the public and legal community. Assignment Judge Bariso and Karol Corbin Walker continue the long line of awardees who embody all of these qualities,” said Charlie Stoia, president of the NJSBF. “The Foundation applauds their outstanding contributions to the legal profession and to the advancement and improvement of the justice system in New Jersey.”
Walker spoke recently about her life, career and receiving the Medal of Honor
What does receiving the Medal of Honor mean to you and how do you think the Foundation makes a difference for New Jersey residents?
The Foundation serves a vital role in our state through the education of students and the public at large. For many years now, the Foundation has provided free statewide information for all segments of the population to provide people with the knowledge, awareness and resources to navigate our legal system and advance the cause of justice. When you are aware of your rights, you are able to advocate for yourself.
I am humbled to receive this prestigious award. Looking at the criteria for this honor – service to the bar, the profession, the community – are all areas in which I enjoy participating. I don’t engage in activities to be recognized – it’s just part of my DNA to make a difference the best way I can. That said, to be recognized by your peers is quite special.
After decades as an NJSBA member, it’s almost easier to list the sections and committees in which you haven’t participated. Describe your history with the NJSBA and what motivated you to get involved.
I’ve always considered myself to be a joiner. At Seton Hall Law School, I was involved in various clubs and activities. Volunteering alongside students I would one day call my colleagues was a nice capstone to my studies and helped me build my reputation and network. The 1986 class is full of notable attorneys and judges, among them Tim McGoughran, who just finished his term as NJSBA president. Funny enough, we both were heavily involved in student government and ran intense campaigns against each other for class president. Although he won, I became the first Black director of the Spring Moot Court Board and we both received 15 prepaid law school credits. The process was a testament to how important we each saw the role of class representative. It’s a privilege to represent your fellow attorneys and their interests. We were both fortunate to have served that mission on a grander scale years later. I was NJSBA president 20 years before Tim and succeeded and preceded presidents who were 20 years my senior. Former NJSBA President Kim Yonta reminds me that, to date, I was the youngest female NJSBA president.
Having been so involved at the law school level, it was a natural progression for me to join the NJSBA. When I worked at the firm Robinson Wayne & LaSala, my then partner Joseph LaSala always encouraged young lawyers to get involved. He introduced me to the Essex County Bar Association and then the NJSBA, where I joined the Young Lawyers Division. From there I joined more than a dozen sections, committees and task forces, including the Women in the Profession Section, Minorities in the Profession Section, Environmental Law Section and later the Executive Committee. Immersing myself in so many groups of smart, talented people has profoundly shaped my professional development.
You made NJSBA history in 2003 by becoming the Association’s first Black president. How do you reflect on that achievement? Do you have a proudest accomplishment as president?
I remember in the early 90s, around the time I was in the Young Lawyers Division and serving as president of the Garden State Bar Association, I didn’t think the NJSBA ever had person of color as president. It wasn’t until I scanned the list of past presidents that I realized we had a Hispanic president, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, in the late 70s. We didn’t know each other, but he was gracious enough to take my telephone call. I inquired as how he become bar president, especially since there were few Latino lawyers in New Jersey during that period. He did it by building a coalition of support from different groups in the Association. They coalesced around him over the Mt. Laurel cases, which was a hot-button issue at the time.
I took inspiration from him and began to align myself with people who shared my purpose and goals. I thought seriously about how I could open doors for Black lawyers to have this opportunity. Coming into the role of president, I felt it was important to impress upon everyone that although I might be first, it’s essential that I’m not the last. Anyone who desires to pursue this position has the opportunity to do so. That’s what being president meant most to me—making sure the position was open to everyone.
My theme for the year was inclusiveness. I wanted the membership to understand that although many of us come from various backgrounds and practice in vastly different areas, we are part of one community with the overall goal of improving the practice of law for attorneys. As president, one of my proudest accomplishments was issuing the initial charter for the LGBTQ Rights Section. This was a time when many issues surrounding the LGBTQ community were still considered controversial. But supporting our LGBTQ members of the bar, who had been marginalized for many years, was the right thing to do and exemplified the inclusiveness I wanted to promote in the Association. Watching the section blossom into the vibrant group it is today fills me with tremendous pride.
You’ve held many distinguished titles in your career – state and federal bar president – and many notable positions in the American Bar Association. Why have you dedicated so much time in service of fellow lawyers?
I enjoy being around lawyers. The bar associations in which I have been involved have provided opportunities and resources that have allowed me to develop business and excel in the practice of law. I have also been able to exchange experiences and insights with colleagues, which has been beneficial. Everyone needs an advocate. To be an advocate on behalf of attorneys and the legal profession has been the privilege of a lifetime.
Giving back is part of who I am as a person. Whether it’s through my church or the bar, I find purpose in lifting people up. I think of all the great mentors I had who shaped my career and put me on a path to success. It’s incumbent on those who’ve had that guidance to pay it forward and open doors for everyone else in the profession.
What are your hobbies and other interests outside of the law?
I think it’s important for people to have balance. Although I do a lot with the NJSBA and my law practice, I like to make time for the most important things in my life – my faith and family. I’m happily married for 39 years with four adult children, 11 grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and another due in November. My family spends a lot of time together. Every year we enjoy our family vacations in Cape May and annual family reunions with both sides of my family.
I also exercise frequently. I love Club Pilates, doing yoga once a week and I enjoy my jazzercise classes. As a hobby, I play double deck pinochle with friends, sometimes into the early hours of the morning. On a given day you can also find me spending time in nature or walking the dog.