Harris' Lack of Court Experience Could Count Against Him

Mayor Bruce Harris declined to comment at the news the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled his confirmation hearing for Thursday, May 31.

Harris and were in January. At Kwon failed to garner enough votes for approval.

Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) said there was "very little on Mr. Harris that we have in terms of his legal background."

Harris graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1973. He also holds an MBA in finance and economics from Boston University, earned in 1979, and a law degree from Yale Law School, which he earned in 1992. He has been admitted to the bar in New Jersey, New York and Washington. Since 2005, he has worked as counsel for Greenberg Traurig.

"He's never been a judge, never been a practicing attorney in court," Scutari said. "He really hasn't done much as a lawyer in terms of what we're going to as him about, [such as] courtroom experience, ruling on an actual case, the rules of evidence."

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean to judge Harris on his "merits and qualifications" rather than repeating "the [Phillip] Kwon fiasco."

Kean said the committee should conduct "a fair hearing and [give Harris] open-minded consideration. ... Unfortunately, the last confirmation conducted for a Supreme Court nominee was anything but fair, impartial, or deliberate."

"He hasn't been in a court. He hasn't written legal briefs. He hasn't done legal analysis. He hasn't represented clients in court. He hasn't done any of those things which we associate with someone who's going to be elevated to the highest court in New Jersey," Scutari said.

, former State Sen. Leanna Brown, said, "Bruce is an outstanding lawyer, and he'll make a fine justice. ... You can never tell how anybody's going to rule, but certainly his record as a member of the Chatham Council has been one of examining everything very closely."

Assembley Republican Leader Jon Bramnick, who represents Chatham Borough and the rest of the 21st legislative district, was not immediately available for comment Monday.

If confirmed, Harris will resign the role of mayor. He would be the third black man and first openly gay man to sit on the state's highest court.

Harris was raised in Iowa, the oldest of 12 siblings. He moved to the borough from Boston in 1981, into an Elmwood Avenue home he still lives in with his partner, Marc Boisclair.