The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to approve the nomination of John Jay Hoffman to succeed Justice Lee Solomon on the Supreme Court. Hoffman is expected to take the bench following the Senate vote on Monday.
“Judging was about the people, their stories and their lives,” said Hoffman to the Senate Judiciary Committee, recalling advice from 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Albert J. Engel, Jr. for whom he clerked. “And we owed it ourselves to think as much about them as we did about legal precedent.”
Hoffman recounted his experience in Japan where he was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Tokyo Law School, to a clerkship on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, to private practice, the U.S. Department of Justice and then the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was acting attorney general for three years until he returned to private practice. He is general counsel to Rutgers University.
The Senate Judiciary Committee also considered the nomination of Michael S. Mikulski, II of Southampton. Mikulski also awaits a vote of the Senate on Monday to confirm his nomination.
Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact Passes Assembly
The Assembly voted favorably on A1896 (Conaway)/S702 (Singer), which would adopt a Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact to allow out-of-state dentists and hygienists to practice in New Jersey. The New Jersey State Bar Association is monitoring the bill.
“New Jersey is limited in the number of dental hygienists we can produce, which makes it difficult for dentists to practice,” said Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis, a prime sponsor of the bill. “These labor shortages are creating delays in important preventative dental treatments. When patients are unable to get the care they need, New Jersey needs to find a solution.”
The bill allows those licensed dentists and hygienists to enter a compact separate from their licensing requirements in order to practice in New Jersey. The bill drew support from several organizations, but drew concerns from the American Association of Dental Boards, which recommended amendments to ensure that those who are permitted to practice in New Jersey undergo a hand skills test and clarify who has authority over the privilege holders under the compact.
The bill is pending in the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.