High school mock trial teams, judge honored

The Sussex County Bar Association (SCBA) was scheduled to mark Law Day on Monday, May 1 at the historic Sussex County Courthouse.

The honorees included the 2023 Law Day Awardee, Superior Court Judge William McGovern III and the mock trial teams from Newton and Kittatinny Regional high schools.

Mark Hontz, the Law Day chairman for the SCBA, was to serve as emcee and deliver the keynote speech with the 2023 Law Day theme, “”Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility & Collaboration.”

McGovern, who was appointed in 2004, is assigned to the Civil Division and Family Division in Sussex County.

Previously, he presided in Morris County, where he sat in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions. He received a bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross and his law degree from Southwestern University. He was an attorney at McGovern & Roseman from 1979 to 2004.

Although he retired from the bench in 2022, McGovern was recalled to service in the judiciary in January.

SCBA President Kelly Sherwood selected McGovern to receive the 2023 Law Day award.

“The Honorable William J. McGovern III, J.S.C. has been an institution in the Sussex County legal community since he began in private practice in 1979,” Sherwood said.

“Over the next 24 years, Judge McGovern was exposed to a wide variety of cases in Sussex County, from civil litigation, family law, municipal court (as a prosecutor and defense attorney), land use and criminal law, just to name a few. He also volunteered his time to Project Self-Sufficiency, Legal Services, and other nonprofit organizations.

“He has also been a mentor and friend to innumerable attorneys in Sussex County over the years. Judge McGovern is truly an individual who we look forward to celebrating for his lifetime of service to the law.”

McGovern said he was humbled to receive the award.

“There are quite a few luminaries in the Sussex County legal community who have received this award and I am honored to be among them. The work that I did with nonprofit organizations like Project Self-Sufficiency, Birth Haven, and the Center for Prevention & Counseling was helpful in my self-development. It deepened my understanding and awareness of the problems faced by many members of the community, whether it be poverty, severe economic crises, unwanted pregnancy or loss of a job. The experience helped position me to be a better judge.”

The Newton High School mock trial team was to be honored for its progress to the northern regional finals, beating teams from seven other Sussex County high schools.

The mock trial team from Kittatinny placed second in the competition.

The Mock Trial Competition is sponsored annually by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation to provide high school students with the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and careful fact analysis.

During the event, each team must present a case to a judge, with students serving as witnesses and attorneys. Each team is judged based on their performance, with local attorneys volunteering as coaches.