Fred Hopke, shareholder and chair of the Workers’ Compensation team at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer PA, has been unanimously confirmed by the New Jersey Senate as a judge of compensation for the Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Hopke was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy on Feb. 24.
Hopke has chaired Wilentz’s workers’ compensation group since 2005, and is a certified workers’ compensation trial attorney.
“Fred is a seasoned workers’ compensation attorney whose experience and judgment will be of great value to the State of New Jersey,” commented Wilentz Managing Director Brian Molloy. “We wish Fred well and applaud his dedication to the bar and to public service. We are proud that Fred carries on the long tradition of public service by Wilentz lawyers and alumni.”
Several other Wilentz attorneys and alumni serve, and have served, on the bench. Wilentz alum Barry Albin has served as an associate justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court since 2002. In January 2018, Wilentz alum Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor was confirmed as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge.
In April 2017, retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Frank Ciuffani rejoined Wilentz after 14 years of service on the bench, including as the presiding judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, General Equity Division, and Probate Judge of Middlesex County and as New Jersey Superior Court Judge, Civil and Family Divisions of Middlesex County.
Wilentz founder David Wilentz served as the state attorney general from 1934 to 1944. His son Robert served as chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1979 to 1996, and son Warren served as a Middlesex County prosecutor.
