News

Dow sworn in as N.J. Attorney General

Published February 23, 2010

TRENTON — Paula Dow was sworn in Tuesday as state attorney general, capping her climb to the highest perch in New Jersey law enforcement.

Her two sons held the Bible while she was sworn in by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.

Dow, 54, was confirmed by the state Senate Monday and will be the first African-American woman to hold her position. The former Essex County prosecutor promised to keep pursuing corruption and violent criminal gangs while balancing her office’s divergent responsibilities.

“Justice will ring out from these corridors and these halls to every corner of the state of New Jersey,” she said.

As a Democrat nominated by Republican Governor Christie, Dow’s nomination moved quickly through the Senate. Christie praised Dow’s candor and intellect during his introduction.

“She has the ability, the courage and the willingness to speak truth to power,” he said.  The New Jersey attorney general leads the 9,000-employee Department of Law and Public Safety, which includes the State Police, gaming enforcement, consumer affairs and civil litigation.

The department has been struggling with high turnover within its ranks of lawyers. Before leaving office, former Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill allowing deputy attorneys general to unionize and collectively bargain for salary increases. Anne Milgram, Dow’s predecessor, opposed the idea, but she warned that low pay was causing lawyers to jump ship.

Dow started her legal career at Exxon before working as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and Newark. When Christie became U.S. attorney, he made Dow his counsel, a position she held in 2002 and 2003.

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN
State House Bureau
STATE HOUSE BUREAU