Associate Justice Barry T. Albin

Early Life and Education

Barry Todd Albin was born on July 7, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York, and later raised in Queens before settling in Sayreville, New Jersey during high school. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1973 and earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1976.

Early Legal Career

After law school, Albin served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Appellate Section of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, and later as an Assistant Prosecutor in Passaic and Middlesex Counties (1978–1982). In 1982, he joined the law firm Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, becoming a partner in 1986 and building an outstanding reputation in criminal defense, civil rights, tort, and employment law.

Appointment to the Supreme Court

Appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court by Governor James McGreevey, Albin took the oath on September 18, 2002, and served until his mandatory retirement on July 6, 2022. During his 20-year tenure, he authored over 400 opinions, including more than 230 majority opinions and 130 dissents.

Major Contributions & Legacy

Justice Albin garnered widespread acclaim for his jurisprudence, particularly in criminal law, civil rights, and equality cases. One of his most renowned opinions was in Lewis v. Harris (2006), which mandated equal rights for same-sex couples under New Jersey’s constitution. He was lauded as a “constitutional giant” for his nuanced reasoning and unwavering commitment to due process, even issuing landmark dissents in the face of public pressure.

Post-Retirement & Recognition

Following his retirement, Albin joined Lowenstein Sandler LLP as a partner and became the Chair of the Appellate Practice Group. He has also served as an arbitrator, mediator, and special master in complex, high-stakes cases. In 2023, he received the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Medal of Honor in recognition of his significant contributions to the legal profession.