CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Chief Justice Stuart Rabner has announced that Superior Court Judge Susan Sheppard will lead the Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage effective April 1.
Sheppard succeeds Assignment Judge Michael Blee, who was appointed as acting director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.
“Judge Sheppard brings a wide range of experience, as well as dedication and enthusiasm, to her new role as assignment judge. We are confident that the Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage will build on its legacy of excellence under her leadership,” Rabner stated in an email.
On the bench for nearly eight years, Sheppard has served as the vicinage’s presiding judge of General Equity since 2022. She also has served in the family and criminal divisions, as well as acting assignment judge for the vicinage.
Sheppard began her judicial career in the family division in Cape May County. A year later, she was assigned to the criminal division in Cape May County, where she served as a recovery judge and later as presiding judge of the family division.
Sheppard serves as statewide chair of the Conference of General Equity Presiding Judges and has served on various judicial committees, including the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Education, the General Equity Visitation Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee’s Self-Represented Court Users Subcommittee.
She was appointed to the bench in 2017 by Gov. Chris Christie and reappointed in 2024 by Gov. Phil Murphy.
“I am humbled and honored to be considered and appointed by Chief Justice Rabner to this position. Over the years, I have been blessed to have served the citizens of Atlantic and Cape May counties in various elected and non-elected positions. Thanks in part to Judge Blee’s mentorship, I believe I am ready for this new role. I truly enjoy serving as a judge and I look forward to the challenge of serving the citizens of Atlantic and Cape May counties as assignment judge,” Sheppard stated.
Before beginning her judicial career, Sheppard held three elected offices in Cape May County. She served on Ocean City City Council from 2008-10, as Cape May County freeholder from 2010-12 and as the Cape May County surrogate from 2013-17, during which time she was appointed by the Supreme Court to the Judiciary-Surrogate Liaison Committee.
Sheppard began her 26-year legal career as an associate at Blank Rome Comisky and McCauley, spent 10 years as an attorney with McCabe Weisberg and Conway, and opened a solo practice in 2008 in which she specialized in real estate and general litigation. A graduate of Villanova University, Sheppard earned her law degree from Widener University School of Law and was research editor for the Law Review.