Fifth Annual Hon. Rosemary Gambardella Scholarship Competition

NJTMA is getting ready for the fifth annual law student competition. We’re excited to meet the upcoming talented students from Rutgers Law School.

Thursday, April 17, 2025
5:30–6:00 p.m. – Registration
6:00–8:00 p.m. – Competition
8:00–10:00 p.m. – McGovern's Tavern, Newark, NJ 07102

Registration and Competition:
Rutgers Law School Center for Law & Justice
Baker Trial Courtroom – 1st Floor
123 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102
Cocktails and Networking:
Immediately following competition

Named in honor of Judge Rosemary Gambardella, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey and a longtime NJTMA member, the competition is centered around a student’s understanding and demonstration of the law as well as adeptness at oral advocacy as they argue a mock case. Education is at the core of our mission and we are proud to mentor the next generation. 

Held at the Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey, the moot court competition consists of students from Rutgers Law School. The competition focuses on timely issues of bankruptcy law. Students compete on their own, not as members of teams. The first round of competition involves an essay competition. Four students will advance to the final round and present oral arguments.  The final round of the competition will be held at the Rutgers Newark Baker Trial Courtroom.

ABOUT JUDGE ROSEMARY GAMBARDELLA

The competition has been named in honor of Judge Rosemary Gambardella, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. Rosemary Gambardella was sworn in as a United States Bankruptcy Judge on May 3, 1985, becoming the first woman to serve on the Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Jersey. A native of Newark, Judge Gambardella attended Rutgers University where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and obtained a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1976. After receiving her law degree from Rutgers Law School-Newark in 1979, Judge Gambardella served as law clerk to Chief Bankruptcy Judge Vincent J. Commisa from 1979 to 1980. From 1980 to 1985, she was senior staff counsel to Hugh M. Leonard, then United States Trustee for the Districts of New Jersey and Delaware. Judge Gambardella served as Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey from August 12, 1998 to August 11, 2005. 

She is a member of the Lawyers Advisory Committee of the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, a member and former President of the New Jersey Bankruptcy Inn of Court and a member of the Bankruptcy Committee of the Third Circuit Task Force on Equal Treatment in the Courts - Gender Commission. In addition, she is a member of the National Association of Women Judges, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Turnaround Management Association and former member of the Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Judge Gambardella is an honorary board member of the New Jersey Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. Judge Gambardella was the Bankruptcy Judge representative to the Judicial Conference of the United States (2009-2011) and is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Judge Gambardella was the recipient of the Rutgers School of Law - Newark Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012, the New York Institute of Credit Women’s Division Judge Cecelia H. Goetz Award, the William J. Brennan, Jr. Award in 2013 and the Conrad B. Duberstein Memorial Award in 2015.

The Judge is retiring on May 5, 2025.

COMMITTEE 
Co-Chair-Sydney Darling, Esq., Crum & Forster Surplus & Specialty Lines
Co-Chair-Steve Ravin, Esq., Saul Ewing LLP
Phil Allogramento, Esq., Connell Foley LLP
Alan Brody, Esq., Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Maria DeOliveira, Esq., Brown Rudnick LLP
Nick Ebel, Esq., Walsh Pizzi O'Reilly Falanga
Terri Freedman, Esq., Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC
Susannah Prill, CPA, Eisner Advisory Group LLC
Joe Schwartz, Esq, Riker Danzig LLP
Harvey Topitz, Big River Insurance Brokerage