Marie Garibaldi LLM ’63, former associate justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, passed away January 15, 2016 at the age of 81. An illustrious judge and highly regarded expert in tax law, Justice Garibaldi broke down barriers for women and became one of the state’s most revered and consequential figures in the law.
A pioneer in her own right as the first woman to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court, Garibaldi’s 225 opinions during the nearly 18 years she served on the court settled some of the biggest questions facing the state of New Jersey, upholding legal standards on the rights of women, the disabled, the press, and other groups. She is perhaps best known for her decisions regarding eliminating all-male eating clubs at Princeton University, for ruling in favor of the right of individuals to refuse life-sustaining treatment, and for establishing the standards still used in sexual harassment cases today.
Garibaldi was also the first woman to serve as president of the New Jersey State Bar Association. She was the director of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Bell Telephone Co., and the Washington Savings Bank. In addition to these roles, Garibaldi served as a partner in the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti and was a frequent speaker on issues involving tax law, state constitutional law, gender, and the legal profession.
A 1956 graduate of Connecticut College, Garibaldi went on to receive her law degree at Columbia University Law School in 1959 and her LLM in tax law from NYU School of Law in 1963. The Justice was also a member of the New Jersey, New York, and District of Columbia bars.
Garibaldi retired from the Court in 2000 and remained active on many private boards and commissions. As an advocate for advancing the cause of Italian Americans, she was highly dedicated to her role as executive vice president and a member of the Board of Directors of The National Italian American Foundation. She also served as a member and assistant secretary of the Board of Governors of Hackensack University Medical Center, chair of the Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, executive vice president of the American Society of Italian Legions of Merit, a member of the Councillors and Secretary of the Order of Malta, American Association.
Posted January 19, 2016