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Served 25 years on bench and authored over 3,000 Appellate Court decisions

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Retired state Superior Court Judge Herman D. Michels of Short Hills died Friday at the age of 83.

Appointed to the bench in 1971, Michels rose to become presiding judge for the administration of the Appellate Division in 1985 and held the post until he retired in September 1997, just weeks shy of his 70th birthday. He then returned to the practice of law as a counsel for the Gibbons law firm of Newark and Trenton.

As a judge, Michels authoring more than 3,000 Appellate Division opinions, of which 400 were published.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said the judiciary has lost a champion of the courts and the rule of law.

"His 12-year leadership as presiding judge for administration of the appellate courts brought national recognition to New Jersey," Rabner said. "His opinions were known to be precise and clear. He exhibited great responsibility for new judges, both by taking an active role in judicial education and by teaching them, by example, how to serve as an appellate judge.

"Over the course of his career, Judge Michels served on many committees to improve the work of the state's judiciary and was the recipients of many honors," Rabner added. "For those with whom he served, it was an honor to have worked with a truly great man and mentor. Judges and staff of the New Jersey courts express our sympathy to his family for their loss."

Funeral arrangements have not been settled.

As a counsel at Gibbons, Michels served as an arbitrator or mediator for hundreds of legal matters. Additionally, he served as a court-appointed Special Discovery master in major environmental insurance coverage, partnership, business, insurance fraud, and other matters.

Michels was initially appointed to Superior Court by Gov. William T. Cahill. He was reappointed by Gov. Brendan Byrne. Michels became an Appellate Division judge in 1974.

Born on Oct. 16, 1927, in Weehawken, Michels served in the Navy from 1945-46. He then graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1950 and from Rutgers Law School in 1953.

After graduation, he served as law clerk to Essex County Assignment Judge G. Dixon Speakman until Dec. 31.

Michels also was a senior partner in the firm of Michels & Schwartz and a partner in the firm of Toner, Vanderbilt, Michels & Light (formerly Toner, Crowley, Woelper & Vanderbilt), both located in Newark.

Michels was recognized as a leading attorney in the area of alternative dispute resolution by Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America. He was also a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

He served as the past president of the Executive Committee of the Justice Marie L. Garibaldi American Inn of Court for Alternative Dispute Resolution, and chaired the New Jersey Ethics Commission (Michels Commission) in 1993 and the New Jersey Court Information Task Force in 1997.