14 Jul ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO DEDICATES THE NEW ESSEX COUNTY WYNONA LIPMAN FAMILY COURTHOUSE IN NEWARK New Building is Named after the Late NJ State Senator Wynona Lipman Provides Modern and State-of-the-Art Facilities for Family Courts
Published on July 14, 2025
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. dedicated the new Essex County Wynona Lipman Family Courthouse in Newark on Friday, July 11th. Named in honor of the late Wynona Lipman, the trailblazing NJ State Senator who championed issues involving children, women and combating domestic violence, the new 267,000-square-foot facility replaces the court facility currently located in the Wilentz Courts Building.
“Families and children coming to Family Court can be facing some of the most difficult and challenging times of their lives. The spaces we created in this building will make families feel safe and comfortable and are where they will be treated with dignity and respect,” DiVincenzo said. “The great partnership we have enjoyed with Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and Assignment Judge Sheila Venable has enabled us to provide judges, jury members, employees and all those coming to court with state-of-the-art facilities that meet our current needs,” he added.
“When we started this project, I knew there was no better person to name the building after than Wynona Lipman. A trailblazer in Trenton, she was a tireless advocate for women, families, children and the less fortunate. Much of the legislation she sponsored provided the strongest protections at the time and laid the foundation for our current laws,” the County Executive said. “Even though she passed away over two decades ago, Senator Lipman is still recognized as a champion. Naming this facility in her honor will keep her legacy alive, inspire others to follow in her footsteps and provide hope to all those going through troubled times who visit our building,” he added.
“I want to thank Joe DiVincenzo for this great honor. My mother loved serving her constituents and I remember her getting phone calls at all hours of the day. She loved Essex County, New Jersey and Newark,” said Senator Lipman’s daughter Karen Lipman.
“This building will mean so much to families experiencing the worst day of their lives because it demonstrates Essex County’s commitment to ensure they are treated fairly. And to have it named after Wynona Lipman, a woman who advocated for those who did not have a voice, is extraordinary,” Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill said.
“The heart of Senator Lipman’s agenda was to protect and improve quality of life, and that mission is still something we are working on today. Senator Lipman was an important person, but she was important because of how she fought for and represented her constituents,” said Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz.
“People who are coming to this building are dealing with life changing events. This building carries on Senator Lipman’s legacy of advocating for children and families. Her memory will be carried forward with this building,” said Chief Justice Stewart Rabner.
“I want to thank Joe for the work he has done; he is a force of nature. Under his leadership we have created a building that is welcoming to visitors and provides functional support for the operation of the courts,” Essex Vicinage Assignment Judge Sheila Venable said.
“This is another example of the many projects we have completed with the County Executive that are transforming our county. What a wonderful name to be associated with this building. It is wonderful to see the legacy of such a dynamic woman being carried on through this bricks and mortar improvement,” said Commissioner President Carlos Pomares who was joined by Commissioners Patricia Sebold and Robert Mercado.
“This building in named for a trailblazer who legacy to help others continues today. Everyone who enters here will feel protected and safe,” said Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones.
“This will be a place where people can seek justice and demonstrates Essex County’s commitment to fairness. People who have to come here will realize the importance that Essex County places on families,” said Anthony Higgins, Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor in charge of the Prosecutor’s Juvenile Unit.
The new building is located at 350 University Avenue, across the street from the Essex County Sheila Oliver Division of Family Assistance and Benefits Headquarters. There are 22 courtrooms in the building, which includes 19 courtrooms for Family Court and three Children-in-Court Courtrooms. There also are five hearing rooms, four mediation rooms and 18 interview rooms, waiting rooms with child play areas for child support, space for a Domestic Violence Unit and Non-Dissolution, and offices for the Prosecutor’s Office, interpreters and Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA).
In the lobby of the building is an eight-foot bronze statue of the late State Senator and a plaque. The plaque begins with a quote from Ms. Lipman: “If you really want to stand out from the crowd and be recognized by society, then it is the quality of contribution which you make to others that counts.” It continues: “Evelyn Wynona Moore Lipman was the first African American woman to serve as a NJ State Senator. Her election was a milestone event that shattered the glass ceiling and paved the way for women ~ especially women of color ~ to view themselves as public servants. Senator Lipman gained the reputation as a ‘Steel Magnolia’ because of her tenacity to get legislation passed while maintaining her poise, grace and elegance. During her tenure, she had over 145 bills signed into law, with many of them focusing on improving the lives and interests of women, children, families and minorities. Notable were the Prevention of Domestic Violence Acts of 1981 and 1991, which at the time were the toughest domestic violence laws in the country, as well as legislation supporting family leave, pay equity and child support enforcement, which serve as the foundation for current laws. Her 27 years in the State Senate made her the most tenured member at the time of her death in 1999. Dedicating this facility as the ‘Essex County Wynona Lipman Family Courthouse’ is a testament to her long-lasting impact and legacy as an advocate for women and children’s rights.”
Born in Georgia, Wynona Lipman didn’t begin her political career until she relocated to Montclair. She served as a Democratic Committee member and Town Chairwoman before being elected as an Essex County Freeholder in 1968 and becoming President of the Board in 1971. Instead of seeking re-election to county office, Ms. Lipman successfully ran for the NJ State Senate and represented the 29th Legislative District for 27 years before she passed away in office in 1999.
Senator Lipman was a trailblazer in New Jersey politics, becoming the first African American woman to serve in the NJ State Senate and for many years was the only woman to be a member of that legislative body. She earned the nickname of “Steel Magnolia” because of her tenacity to get legislation passed without compromising her courteous demeanor.
She concentrated her attention on passing legislation to improving the lives and interests of women, children, families, small businesses and minorities. In 1978, she sponsored legislation to create the Commission on Sex Discrimination in the Statutes and became chair of the commission when it was signed into law. The commission modernized New Jersey statutes that contained sex-based classifications and helped initiate legislation to eliminate inequities. It took on a number of wide-ranging issues including employment discrimination, marriage laws, child support, the rights of children, sexual assault and domestic violence. Other notable legislation sponsored by Ms. Lipman were the Prevention of Domestic Violence Acts of 1981 and 1991, which at the time were the toughest domestic violence laws in the country, as well as legislation supporting family leave, pay equity and child support enforcement, which serve as the foundation for current laws.
The Family Courts were located in the Wilentz Building at 212 Washington Street in Newark. Essex County moved the Family Courts into the building in the 1990s. Essex County sold its share in the Wilentz Building because the new owners have plans to redevelop the site for different uses. The owners have agreed to pay off the remaining debt that Essex County has on the building.
Comito Associates from Newark received a professional services contract for $4.6 million to design the building. Dobco Inc. from Wayne was awarded a publicly bid contract for $172.6 million to construct the building. Financing for the Family Courts Building was provided through the Essex County Improvement Authority. Construction began in 2023.
Essex County has partnered with the Essex Vicinage of the Superior Court on many projects to update court facilities including the rehabilitation of the Historic Essex County Courthouse, the construction of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building, modernization and relocation of Landlord-Tenant Court to the second floor of the Hall of Records, and modernization of the Jury Management and Grand Jury Management Rooms. Essex County also has worked with the State Court to provide Appellate Court Judges’ chambers in the Essex County LeRoy F. Smith, Jr. Public Safety Building.