Hon. Rachelle L. Harz (Ret.)

Special Counsel

Judge Harz sat for 15 years in the Civil Division as a Superior Court Judge for the State of New Jersey from June 2008 through May 2023. In 2016, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed Judge Harz to be one of three Judges in New Jersey designated to manage and try Multi-County Litigation matters. The MCL matters managed by Judge Harz included Elmiron, Pelvic Mesh (Gynecare and Bard), Pinnacle Metal-on Metal Hip Implants, Stryker Hip/ABGII, Stryker LFIT coCr V40 Femoral Heads; Stryker Trident Hip Implants, Tasigna, HealthPlus Surgery Center, Mirena, Pompton Lakes Environmental Contamination, and Yaz.

Judge Harz graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors in American Studies from Brandeis University (1976) and Hofstra Law School (1979). She practiced for 29 years prior to her appointment to the bench and was certified as a Civil Trial Attorney. Representing both plaintiffs and defendants in the civil courts of both New York and New Jersey, she litigated cases involving professional liability, contracts, personal injury, commercial and corporate disputes, health care, nursing home matters and medical licensing issues.

Judge Harz has been a lecturer for ICLE and other not for profit legal associations throughout her Judicial tenure. She has frequently participated on panel programs focused on mass torts involving pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. She has been invited to be a speaker on behalf of Trial Attorneys of America (TAA), New Jersey Association for Justice (NJAJ) Educational Foundation, the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), the American Bar Association (ABA), and the Mass Tort Bolch Judicial Institute, Duke Law School.

Judge Harz has taught regularly at the Civil Judicial Orientation Program, for newly appointed Judges, on various topics including premises liability, medical malpractice, motion practice, pretrial case management issues, complex litigation management and settlement techniques.

Judge Harz has lectured numerous times at Judicial College, the yearly program for Judicial education, on mass tort litigation, products liability, medical malpractice, employment litigation, complex commercial matters, personal injury, employment litigation, consumer fraud. and complex case management.

Named a Super Lawyer 2005-2007, and listed in the top 50 Women New Jersey Superlawyers in 2007, Judge Harz before her appointment was a frequent lecturer, panelist and instructor including appearances on 60 Minutes, a guest commentator on Court TV and New Jersey network (Channel 13 television) and an instructor for many ICLE courses.

Judge Harz’s first 8 years of her private civil litigation practice was litigating all aspects of defense work for insurance carriers. Judge Harz subsequently spent many years involved with plaintiffs’ medical malpractice and personal injury litigation in New Jersey and defense medical malpractice litigation in New York.

Judge Harz was appointed to the Supreme Court Committee on Jury Selection for two terms.

A committed member of the Pashmann Inn of Court for 15 years, Judge Harz served as its President from 2016-2023. Her affiliation with the Inn continues to date.

Important to Judge Harz is her volunteer work involved in programs geared to provide support and guidance to young girls and women.