Bonnie J. Mizdol ’79

The Honorable Bonnie J. Mizdol ’79, A.J.S.C., was appointed to the Superior Court in 2006, after 24 years of private practice. She has served as a Municipal Court Judge, and has served as President of the Bergen County Municipal Judges’ Association, President of the Bergen County Bar Foundation, Chair of the District IIA Ethics Committee, and Co-Chair of the Family Law Committee and remains a Member of the Family Law Executive Committee. She previously served as Chair of the Conference of New Jersey Family Part Judges. She was the Presiding Judge of the Family Part of Bergen County, New Jersey, from 2008 through April 2015, and served on the Family Law Practice Committee.

Recently, Judge Mizdol was elevated to the position of Assignment Judge of Bergen County, and currently serves on Judicial Council and the faculties of Judicial College, Management Skills Training for Presiding Judges, and New Judges’ Orientation Program (CJOP).

Before all of these esteemed appointments, Mizdol was a student in the Business Education program at Montclair State University.

“I think that my time at Montclair State prepared me for my career path by providing an education approach that was both theoretical and practical,” says Mizdol. “I had accepted a teaching position at Cliffside Park High School before I elected to apply to law school. The theoretical teachings from my time at Montclair State allowed me to foster abstract thinking principles while the practical teachings gave me the business basics which enabled me to run my private practice successfully for some 25 years.”

In addition to preparing her for the law field, Montclair State provided more than just a quality education. “My fondest memory of Montclair State was my very first day there,” says Mizdol. “I was in an introductory statistics class. I met a friend, who very much like me, knew nothing of statistics. She remains my dear friend after 37 years.”

Professors Rossetti and McAuley, who were the Chair and Co-Chair of the Business Education Department had an enormous impact on Mizdol. “The environment in the Business Education program allowed for one-on-one contact with each of these educators who fostered the highest standards and lead by example,” she notes.

As for breaking into the field of law, Judge Mizdol encourages students to be open-minded. “Opportunities in the law abound. One need not be a trial litigator. There are many opportunities for those who don’t like public speaking or courtroom drama, but are excellent writers or contract reviewers,” says Mizdol. She adds, “I think that anyone considering pursuit of a career in law, must have sharp organizational skills, as most actions are governed by extraordinarily strict timeframes.”

Judge Mizdol will serve as the guest speaker at the Fifth Annual Attorney Alumni Network Gathering on November 12. For more information, contact Deb Corasio, Office of Alumni Relations, at 973-655-4207 or corasiod@montclair.edu.