In honor of Constitution Day, federal district court judge Georgette Castner delivered a speech on Wednesday, September 17, at the Liberty Hall Academic Center (LHAC) exhibition hall.
Dr. Argote-Freyre introduced Castner by sharing her background and accomplishments in law.
Castner graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2002 and earned her law degree with honors from a Camden, NJ law school in 2006. After graduation, she served as a law clerk. She then worked at Montgomery McCracken from 2007 to 2022. On November 3, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated her to the bench, and she became New Jersey's youngest district judge following her confirmation.
Her speech began by providing background on the history of the New Jersey court, while paying respect to the Constitution.
“The job only exists because of the constitution,” she recollected, expressing the Constitution as a motif that she would see every day while working.
She discussed the significance of her role and the difficult decisions she makes on behalf of the law.
"Sentencing is one of the hardest parts of the job," she said. "How do you decide how long it should take?"
Given the challenges she faced she still had a deep appreciation for law, and shared some insight for students to take home with them.
"Taking the chance, taking a risk, for me, that's what I did for this position. Did I think this was the job for me, no, but I knew I could do it, I knew I had the foundation and education to do it. So take the risk." she said
She was then questioned about advice for anyone interested in law which she responded by saying ""I always push them to clerk, it's such a good experience, you not only improve your legal skills and your writing skills, but you also create relationships with your judge."
Her speech highlighted a crucial point for students: understanding their power and role in society, and how to handle it. Afterwards, students shared their thoughts on how they felt about her speech and the topic of student power.
Jimmy Castillo a sophomore undecided from Roselle, NJ commented:
"you just existing give you power, if there was no students then the school wouldn't exist, if the collective had something to be done then it will be done. I believe that's powerful."
Diana Nunez, a freshman from the Dominican Republic who is currently undecided, shared her feelings about Judge Castner's speech and said she was encouraged by the many positive qualities Castner demonstrated.
"I feel like this inspired me to take more risks," she said. "To be a judge, you need confidence, [to] not really care about what other people say, [and] being strong-willed and strong-minded."
Judge Georgette Castner inspired students with her powerful words and personal experiences, encouraging them to take control of their futures and chart their own paths.
