Christine A. Amalfe is no stranger to high-leverage decision making.
As one of the premier labor and employment attorneys in the state and chair of the Employment and Labor Group at Gibbons P.C., she manages a bustling group of more than 20 lawyers who handle upwards of 100 cases at any given time.
Amalfe brings that management experience – and decades of service to the New Jersey State Bar Association – to the role of NJSBA president. She follows in the legacy of her firm’s namesake – NJSBA Past-President John J. Gibbons – who dedicated much of his tenure to guiding the Association through the legal fallout from the 1967 Newark riots.
Like her longtime mentor, and predecessors who served during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amalfe will take the mantle in challenging times. Lawyers and law firms face hostility in the current environment, there have been threats against judges for doing their job, and – at the state level – a judge shortage means another vacancy crisis is brewing in the Superior Courts. That is why the central tenet of her term as NJSBA president will be to listen, advance the rule of law and approach any issue facing the Association as a unified front.
“Lawyers and bar associations could not be more important. We have the training to advocate for what is right, to engage in civil discourse and to fight for our Constitution and the rule of law. We are trained to engage with fairness and process and without partisanship. The lawyers of this state can make a difference,” Amalfe said. “I hope to lead the way toward restoring the public’s faith in our judicial system, making sure we have enough judges to dispense justice and serve the public, educating our citizens about democracy and the rule of law, and most importantly, protecting lawyers and law firms from unlawful retaliation simply for the clients they choose to represent.”
Longtime colleagues and friends agree that Amalfe is poised to meet the moment.
“Christine spends a lot of time dedicated to the Association because that’s the sort of person she is. She never just dips her toe in anything. If she’s going to become involved in something, she’s going to dive right in completely,” former NJSBA Trustee and Gibbons colleague Susan Nardone said. “The future and success of the lawyers of the state are important to her. She takes that responsibility very seriously. I know she’s going to do the same as president.”
NJSBA Past-President Domenick Carmagnola agrees: “She is the right person for the right time.”
A big-firm leader
At the Gibbons Newark office, the entire labor and employment practice runs through Amalfe. Ultimately, she’s responsible for the results and strategic decisions in each case, along with maintaining client relations and the business side of the practice – billing, attracting clients, marketing the group and developing young talent.
“Any day is quite chaotic,” Amalfe said. “You jump from one case to the next. You have to be able to juggle and be nimble in my job.”
Amalfe built her reputation in the labor and employment bar through decades of zealous advocacy.
As an attorney who practices in the same area, Carmagnola said he’s had a front row seat to witness Amalfe in her element.
“I’ve watched her navigate the client room and the negotiation room with this quiet confidence. But make no mistake, she’s tough as nails and she’s always thoroughly prepared,” Carmagnola said. “Watching her showed me that by being prepared, and being confident and calm, you create that same level of confidence in your clients, not only in your advice, but also in how you’re going to strategically handle the difficult issues they’re faced with.”
Amalfe describes her leadership style in a similar way to her relationship with clients –accessible and forthcoming.
“I like to give and see people stretch for opportunities,” she said. “Mistakes are ok. We can fix them. I also like to be approachable, available, but I like people to be accountable. I have high expectations. That’s probably what most people would say about me. I’m a nut about making sure our work product is excellent.”
At Gibbons, Amalfe leads both by example and through collaboration, rather than managing from a distance, said Kelly Ann Bird, a colleague at the firm and New Jersey State Bar Foundation trustee.
“Christine is an effective leader because there’s nothing she won’t do. She won’t ask you to do anything if she won’t do it herself. That comes through in every conversation, every email, every text. She will be an effective state bar leader because…she realizes that other people are different and she accepts people for who they are and she pushes them to be the best that they can,” Bird said.
Like Amalfe, Gibbons Managing Director Peter J. Torcicollo is a longtime member of the firm and has known her since he was a summer associate. In their more than 30 years as colleagues, Torcicollo said her work ethic is a hallmark of her career.
“Christine is a force to be reckoned with. She is a tremendous champion and mentor to so many people. Her dedication and integrity are second to none," Torcicollo said. "She has a great deal of experience handling high-profile cases with skill and care. Those traits will translate well as she leads the state bar."
No second gear
Having no off switch is one of Amalfe’s well-known character traits. She once negotiated a settlement while in labor at the hospital. That quality is one her family taught her.
Amalfe grew up as the youngest of three in Union. Her father worked six days a week at a tire store he owned in Elizabeth. Her mother was an Italian immigrant and worked as a secretary. Neither went to college. After high school, Amalfe commuted to Seton Hall University.
“I came from a family that didn’t know anything about college. I never went on a college tour. I applied to the New Jersey schools. I settled on Seton Hall because it was close and they offered financial assistance,” Amalfe said.
To support herself through college, Amalfe took jobs as a waitress, a bookkeeper and teaching assistant.
“Being a waitress teaches you a lot. You learn how to talk to people. That was a good lesson as you develop relationships and build business as a lawyer. People send business to you because they trust you and they like you,” Amalfe said.
Law school never entered her mind as a marketing major at Seton Hall. After graduating, she was dissatisfied with the salary options and decided to get more education. Amalfe said she considered going for an MBA, but opted for law school instead.
Amalfe chose Syracuse University College of Law almost strictly for the basketball program, only applying to Big East schools. As a second-year student, she was a summer associate at Gibbons – then known as Crummy, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione – and took a full-time position after graduating in 1985.
“I got an offer and I never left the firm, so my work history is very brief,” Amalfe said.
Foray into employment law
Out of law school, corporate law seemed appealing, but the experience at the firm was short-lived.
“I did everything – bankruptcy, environmental, land use, commercial litigation and anti-trust. I had many trials in my younger years, which provided great experience for later,” Amalfe said.
Her primary mentor in this period was the late John “Chuck” Dolan, a seasoned litigator who imparted the tricks of the trade – key lessons like appearing authentic before a jury, being forceful and aggressive when needed, projecting confidence and preparing witnesses, Amalfe said.
“He was the person responsible for me becoming the lawyer I am. Most of my litigation skills I learned from him,” she said.
By the early 1990s, Amalfe caught the eye of the firm and was assigned to take on the firm’s rising sexual harassment caseload.
“They needed a woman who could cross examine a woman before a jury,” Amalfe said. “I initially didn’t want to do it, but I took one case, and as a result became an employment lawyer. That’s where it all started. I had no great desire to be an employment lawyer up until that point. I just knew how to try a case.”
Today, as a 30-year veteran of employment practice, Amalfe said she’s learned that honesty is the best rule of thumb when handling clients.
“You always have to be candid with your clients as to the pros and cons of your cases. It doesn’t serve anybody well to only tell clients what they want to hear,” Amalfe said. “You have to be able to evaluate good and bad cases and be honest with your advice on how to resolve it.”
Roots in the bar
Amalfe was a late bloomer within the NJSBA. She held a membership since graduating law school, but her engagement began in earnest when got she involved with the Women in the Profession Section and the Labor and Employment Law Section – where she rose to the Executive Committee – and later the Amicus, Legislative, Higher Education, and Pro Bono committees.
Carmagnola said Amalfe made a strong impression in what can be a divided room at Labor and Employment meetings, since both management and plaintiffs lawyers are members.
“We quickly learned in that she was thoughtful, not someone who took extreme positions, and ultimately she became someone we really came to rely upon and her opinions carried great weight,” Carmagnola said.
When the chance arose, Amalfe entered the Board of Trustees through an at-large seat reserved for underrepresented groups in the profession. Without that opportunity, she said she wouldn’t have taken the oath as NJSBA president.
The year ahead
In a demanding practice, Amalfe’s biggest priority is still her family – her three adult children Alessandra, Kyle and Sam – and her husband, retired Superior Court Presiding Judge Thomas M. Moore, who she lives with in Roseland. And for the next year, she will count the over 16,000 members of the NJSBA as members of her family.
“I am honored by the opportunity and excited for the challenge. …I understand the trust that the profession has put in me. I am up to the task and will make sure to use my voice to advocate for every lawyer in this state on the issues that are important to our Association, the practice of law, our judicial system and the rule of law,” she said.
True to form, Amalfe plans to hit the ground running early into her term, embarking on a listening tour with managing partners around the state, young lawyers, county and affinity bars, retired and sitting judges and other entities to hear their perspectives on the climate surrounding the profession and how to address it.
“My number one goal is to create the ability to have a civil discourse about difficult topics where people may not agree, relating to democracy and the justice system,” Amalfe said. “I want to spend some time listening and seeing how we can come together on topics we may not agree with, but agree are important.”
Amalfe added: “I am proud of this Association’s 126-year history of protecting the rule of law, democracy, and judicial independence. I am proud to affirm the NJSBA’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive legal community that works for every lawyer. I pledge to do my best to listen to every argument and viewpoint, and to work together with all stakeholders to advocate for what is right and just and what is in the best interests of our Association.”