LIVINGSTON, N.J., June 19, 2008 – Retired New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Daniel J. O'Hern, special counsel to the Livingston, N.J.-based Becker Meisel LLC, recently served as a featured speaker at the "New Jersey Governors and the State Supreme Court" Program. The event was presented by the Rutgers Program on the Governor in cooperation with the Eagleton Institute on Politics and the New Jersey State Bar Association. O'Hern served on the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1981 to 2000.

At the program, O'Hern served on the "Governors and The Court: The Formal and Informal Relationship" panel with a number of former governors and justices. The panel addressed a range of issues including how governors assess the effectiveness of the current division of powers among the three branches of the New Jersey government and how Supreme Court decisions influenced gubernatorial or legislative priorities.

In addition, O'Hern was on the "Governors and The Court as Policy Makers: Perfect Together?" panel. This session focused on landmark decisions of the Supreme Court in such areas as school finance, affordable housing, reapportionment, the death penalty, gay marriage and others.

As special counsel to Becker Meisel, O’Hern concentrates on appellate practice, trial practice, alternative dispute resolution and mediation. In recognition of his longstanding dedication to the New Jersey legal system, he was honored with the 2007 Medal of Honor Award by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation at the end of last year.