FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Anthony Coley
Brendan Gilfillan
609-777-2600
Farber and Bass Levin Sworn In as Attorney General and Community Affairs Commissioner
TRENTON - Zulima V. Farber and Susan Bass-Levin were sworn in today as Attorney General and Commissioner of Community Affairs.
“Both Attorney General Farber and Commissioner Bass Levin have distinguished themselves as outstanding administrators and will bring unique skills to this administration,” said Corzine. “Their experience, integrity and devotion to public service will serve New Jersey well as we move forward to tackle the issues confronting our state.”
“I want to thank Governor Corzine for the opportunity to serve the people of New Jersey,” said Farber. “As Attorney General, I am charged with protecting the safety and rights of all New Jerseyans and defending their interests under the law. I am humbled by this great responsibility, and I pledge to work to the best of my abilities to make the state a safer and better place to live.”
Farber was a senior partner at Lowenstein Sandler, which she joined in 1981. She has more than 30 years of litigation experience in both state and federal courts. She served as New Jersey Public Defender and Public Advocate from 1992 to 1994 in Governor James Florio’s Cabinet.
Before going to Lowenstein Sandler, Farber served as assistant counsel to Governor Brendan Byrne and as assistant prosecutor in Bergen County. Farber is a member, and former chairperson, of the New Jersey State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She serves on the New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing. During the transition period, Farber served as a co-chair of Governor Corzine’s Ethics Advisory Group, a bipartisan group principally charged with implementing his ethics agenda.
She earned a J.D. from Rutgers University Law School and a B.A. and M.A. from Montclair State College (now called Montclair State University). She lives in North Bergen.
"I thank Governor Corzine for this opportunity and look forward to working together for New Jersey’s families and communities," Commissioner Levin said. "I am honored to lead the Department of Community Affairs, which makes a difference in the lives of so many people throughout our state."
Levin served as Commissioner of Community Affairs (DCA) from January 2002 until last summer, when she joined the Corzine campaign as chief operating officer. Prior to her service at DCA, Levin served 14 years as mayor of Cherry Hill, one of the largest suburban municipalities in Southern New Jersey. She received a J.D. with Honors from George Washington Law School in 1975 and her B.A. from the University of Rochester, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Levin, who has two adult daughters, resides in Cherry Hill.
The Attorney General is the state’s top law enforcement official and the head of the Department of Law and Public Safety. The department is responsible for the protection of New Jersey’s citizens through law enforcement and emergency response. The department is also charged with protecting the civil and consumer rights of New Jersey’s citizens, promoting highway traffic safety, overseeing the alcoholic beverage, gaming and racing industries and providing legal counsel to other state agencies.
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) was created to provide administrative guidance, financial support and technical assistance to local governments, community development organizations, businesses and individuals to improve the quality of life in New Jersey. DCA offers a wide range of programs and services that respond to issues of public concern including fire and building safety, housing production, community planning and development, and local government management and finance.
###
