News
Former Union County Assignment Judge Walter R. Barisonek Joins Porzio
June 15, 2009
Walter R. Barisonek, former Union County Assignment Judge, joins Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C. as Of Counsel, effective June 15. He retired from the bench at the end of January of this year. According to D. Jeffrey Campbell, managing principal of Porzio, Judge Barisonek will be working closely with the firm’s appellate, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and real estate practices. He joins other Porzio retired jurists James H. Coleman, Jr., former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and Alvin Weiss, former Essex County Assignment Judge.
During his service as assignment judge over the past five years, Judge Barisonek presided over high-profile real estate and land use matters. His real estate experience will help him counsel Porzio clients on land use and real property litigation, redevelopment, COAH and condemnation issues, including mediation of potential Whispering Woods resolutions.
Judge Barisonek began his judicial service in 1984 and served in all divisions of the Superior Court before Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz elevated him to the position of Assignment Judge in 2004. He served as presiding judge of the Criminal Division, presiding judge of the Family Division and served on several Supreme Court committees. He was designated as Capital Murder Judge by the Supreme Court.
Judge Barisonek has been at the forefront of significant legal issues during the last two decades. He was appointed Racial Profiling Judge for the State of New Jersey by the Supreme Court. Judge Barisonek presided over all cases in New Jersey involving discovery issues relating to racial profiling by the New Jersey State Police. He was appointed by the Supreme Court to preside over Megan’s Law testimonial hearings to determine the validity of the Registrant Risk Assessment Scale.
Judge Barisonek is a graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law and Marist College. He attended the National Judicial College and lectured at the New Jersey Judicial College. He served as a Master with the Richard J. Hughes Inn of Court. Judge Barisonek was a partner in general practice firms and was a Certified Civil Trial attorney before ascending to the bench.
