OK, so he’ll probably have a suit on underneath. Still, it isn’t every day that a Supreme Court justice doffs his gown and spills about the job for an audience.

Rumson’s James Zazzali, Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, will speak about the workings of the court at Brookdale Community College next month.

The event is free and open to the public, and there will be a Q&A session.

Last October, Zazzali became the seventh chief justice since the 1947 adoption of the state Constitution. He’d previously served as an Associate Justice for six years.

He’s also likely to be one of the shortest-tenured chiefs, as state law says he must retire at age 70, a milestone he’ll reach on June 17. Zazzali got the job when his predecessor, Deborah Poritz, was forced to step down when she hit the magic number.

A former New Jersey Attorney General, Zazzali also served as chairman of the State Commission of Investigation. He was general counsel to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and appointed by the United States District Court as special master for the county jails in Monmouth, Essex and Bergen counties.

A coffee reception will follow the program.

The Feb. 8 event is scheduled to begin at 11:45a in the Warner Student Life Building, Navesink Room II. Parking is most convenient in lots 1, 6, and 7 (see map). For more information, call 732-224-2514.

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