Frank Lautenberg: “On July 1, an era came to an end, when Robert N. Wilentz removed his robe for the final time and ended a 17-year tenure…”

“On July 1, an era came to an end, when Robert N. Wilentz removed his robe for the final time and ended a 17-year tenure as chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. During a rare interview in 1993, when asked how the Wilentz years would be remembered, he replied, "I would hope only that they would be remembered as years when a great court system was kept great and when a great supreme court was kept great." And they will be, due to the efforts of a truly great man--Chief Justice Robert N. Wilentz. Greatness is based not on what you gain, but on what you give. And the contributions of Justice Wilentz to the legal profession and to the people of New Jersey are a benchmark against which the actions of others will be judged. An old Latin saying notes that justice must be fair and good; while Justice Wilentz wore the judicial robes, he assured both. He has been categorized as a liberal activist, but that is not entirely fair, for Justice Wilentz's decisions were not based on any political agenda, but on a mixture of extraordinary intellect and unusual compassion.”