8:42 NOW WITH AN INSPIRING
GROUND BREAKER, SAVANNAH.
>> YES, SHE IS.
FABIANA PIERRE-LOUIS.
SHE’S A FORMER PROSECUTOR, A
MOTHER, AND ONCE CONFIRMED
SHE’LL BE THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN
TO SERVE ON NEW JERSEY’S SUPREME
COURT.
FIRST HER STORY.
39-YEAR-OLD FABIANA PIERRE-LOUIS
WASN’T ALWAYS SURE SHE WANTED TO
BE A LAWYER, BUT NOW SHE’S A
JUDICIAL TRAIL BLAZER.
>> IT IS EXTREMELY HUMBLING TO
BE NOMINATED AND I AM I DON’T
ENTHUSIASTIC.
>> Reporter: GOVERNOR PHIL
MURPHY NOMINATING PIERRE-LOUIS
TO THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW
JERSEY.
THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN IN ITS
HISTORY.
>> THERE IS NO BETTER MEETING OF
AN INDIVIDUAL AND THE TIMES.
>> Reporter: THE LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN
TO HOLD STATEWIDE OFFICE IN NEW
JERSEY SINGING HER PRAISES.
>> SHE IS PROOF OF WHAT IS
POSSIBLE WHEN ONE DOES NOT LIMIT
THEMSELVES TO WHAT OTHERS THINK
THEY CAN DO BECAUSE OF THEIR
STATION IN LIFE.
>> Reporter: PIERRE-LOUIS HAS
TRAVELED A LONG ROAD TO REACH
THE STATE’S HIGHEST BENCH.
HER PARENTS JOSEPH AND CLAIRE
EMIGRATED FROM HAITI.
HE WORKED AS A CAB DRIVER.
SHE WORKED IN A HOSPITAL.
PIERRE-LOUIS STARTED LIFE IN A
CRAMPED BROOKLYN APARTMENT
SHARED WITH SEVEN RELATIVES
BEFORE HER FAMILY MOVED TO NEW
JERSEY.
THERE SHE GRADUATED RUTGERS LAW
SCHOOL AND BECAME AN ASSISTANT
U.S. ATTORNEY HEADING UP OFFICES
IN TRENTON AND CAMDEN.
AND ON FRIDAY, SHE WALKED INTO
HISTORY.
>> STANDING HERE TODAY, I KNOW
THAT I HAVE TRULY LIVED AND
CONTINUE TO LIVE THE AMERICAN
DREAM THAT MY PARENTS CAME TO
THIS COUNTRY IN SEARCH OF.
>> AND FABIANA PIERRE-LOUIS
JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING.
I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD CALL YOU
MADAM JUSTICE.
BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE TO WAIT AND
GET CONFIRMED FIRST.
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GET THAT
CALL FROM GOVERNOR MURPHY AND
WHEN IT REALLY SOAKED IN, WHAT
THIS MEANS TO BE THE FIRST BLACK
WOMAN TO SERVE ON NEW JERSEY’S
SUPREME COURT?
>> WELL, IT’S SUCH AN HONOR TO
BE NOMINATED TO THE STATE’S
HIGHEST COURT.
I FEEL INCREDIBLY BLESSED AND I
AM FORTUNATE THAT GOVERNOR
MURPHY SAW IN ME THE EXPERIENCE
AND HAD THE FAITH IN ME TO
NOMINATE ME TO THE COURT.
I PRACTICED PRIVATE PRACTICE,
PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT’S SUCH
A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY TO
SERVE THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
I BEGAN MY CAREER WITH THE
SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY AS A
LAW CLERK TO JUSTICE JOHN
WALLACE JR.
AND THE IDEA THAT I MAY ONE DAY
SIT IN THE SAME SEAT IS
UNBELIEVABLE.
>> I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT.
I WONDER IN YOUR LAW CLERK DAY
IFS YOU EVEN LET YOURSELF DREAM
ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS?
IMMIGRANTS FROM HAITI, THEY
EMBODY THE AMERICAN DREAM.
YOU EMBODY THE AMERICAN DREAM.
WHAT DID THEY THINK WHEN YOU
TOLD THEM THE NEWS?
>> MY PARENTS WERE SPEECHLESS.
THEY’RE SO OVERJOYED AND SO
HAPPY AND SO PROUD.
AND I THINK THERE WERE JUST SO
MANY EMOTIONS THAT THEY CONTINUE
TO EXPERIENCE AFTER REALIZING
THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS
NOMINATION.
SO THEY’RE JUST EXTREMELY PROUD
AND HAPPY.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS NOMINATION WAS
IN THE WORKS LONG BEFORE THIS
PARTICULAR CULTURAL MOMENT THAT
WE’RE IN.
BUT YOU ARE AS THE GOVERNOR SAID
SO WELL SUITED TO IT.
YOU WORKED AS A FEDERAL
PROSECUTOR AND IN CHARGE OF THE
CRIMINAL DIVISION IN SOME OF THE
TOUGHEST CITIES IN NEW JERSEY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MOVEMENT
WILL MEAN TO THE SYSTEM?
>> SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT’S
INCREDIBLY HUMBLING AND AN HONOR
TO BE NOMINATED TO THE SUPREME
COURT.
IF CONFIRMED, IF I DO BREAK THAT
BARRIER AND BECOME THE FIRST
BLACK WOMAN TO SIT ON THE COURT,
I HOPE TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO
FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEE PEOPLE WHO
LOOK LIKE THEM, WHO HAVE SIMILAR
BACKGROUNDS AS THEM IN
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
SO I JUST TRULY HOPE TO BE AN
INSPIRATION TO OTHERS.
AND I LOOK TO BRING A DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVE TO THE COURT.
>> WELL, WE KNOW YOU’RE A HARD
WORKER.
YOU’RE A MOM OF TWO YOUNG SONS.
AS I SAID, YOU’VE BEEN
PRACTICING LAW ALL THESE YEARS.
WHAT DO YOUR KIDS THINK ABOUT
MOM BECOMING A SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE?
>> SO MY SONS ROBBIE AND MARK,
THEY’RE 7 AND 4 SO THEY DON’T
QUITE UNDERSTAND THE PARTICULARS
OF THE JUDICIARY SYSTEM, BUT
THEY WERE THRILLED TO MEET THE
GOVERNOR ON FRIDAY AND THEY
THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL TO
SEE THEMSELVES.
AND THEY HAVE CONCEPT OF WHAT A
JUDGE IS, SO THEY THINK IT’S
PRETTY EXCITING.
>> IT IS.
FABIANA PIERRE-LOUIS, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
I WAS GOING TO SAY MAYBE -- I
KNOW I’M A MOM OF LITTLE KIDS,
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT
GAVEL AT HOME.
SOMETIMES MOMS NEED TO LAY DOWN
THE LAW TOO.
>> THAT’S FUNNY.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE OF
FOAM GAVELS AT HOME.
SO THEY OFTEN JOKE AND BANG THE
FOAM GAVELS AND SAY ORDER IN THE
COURT.
THAT’S HOW I EXPLAIN TO THEM I
MIGHT BE BECOMING A JUDGE.
>> OH, PERFECT.
PERFECT.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CONGRATULATIONS.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW YOUR