The Department of the Public Advocate is charged with making government more accountable and responsive to the needs of New Jersey residents, especially our most vulnerable citizens.

The Public Advocate's mission is to act as a voice for the people on a range of critical issues. This is accomplished through many avenues: legal advocacy, policy research and reform, investigation of abuse and neglect, community partnerships, legislative and regulatory action, education and outreach.

The new Department of the Public Advocate works to protect the interests of the public, with a special focus on the elderly, people with mental illness or developmental disabilities, consumers and children.

Originally formed in 1974 under then Gov. Brendan T. Byrne, the department was dissolved in 1994.  After years of vigorous advocacy by a broad coalition of New Jersey citizens, the New Jersey Legislature adopted the Public Advocate Restoration Act in 2005.  On July 12, 2005, Governor Richard Codey signed the bill into law.

In 2006, Governor Jon Corzine inaugurated the new department with the appointment of Ronald K. Chen to serve as the first Public Advocate in New Jersey in nearly 12 years:

"New Jersey is a great state. But too many New Jersey citizens continue to face economic hardships and other injustices. At some point in our lives, almost all of us may find ourselves in one of the groups who do not have access to effective advocacy - children, the elderly, ratepayers - so in giving a voice to those groups, we are in a sense giving a voice to the public at large."

Ronald K. Chen
March 2006
New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing