Assistant Morris County Prosecutor Julian Hill has been cited by the New Jersey Law Journal as one of its 15 “Diverse Attorneys of the Year.”
Hill was the only lawyer honored who works for a County Prosecutor’s Office.
Hill has worked for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office since 2004.
Beginning In 2012, he became Drug Court Special Probation Assistant Prosecutor. Previously, he worked in the Appellate Unit, Juvenile Unit, General Investigations Unit, the Special Services Unit and the Weights and Measures Unit. His current assignment, Drug Court, is a specialized court that addresses non-violent offenders plagued by addiction. Instead of incarceration, qualified defendants are sentenced to a rigorous probation program that includes treatment.
In this role, Hill works tirelessly to combat the current opioid epidemic.
“I love what I do,” Hill said. “I love being a public servant. It’s so valuable and immeasurable to contribute to society.”
Hill added, “There is so much value in helping to save people’s lives from addiction and to restore families.” He noted that restoring the so-called mundane events – like family dinners and other outings – often are most important.
Hill expressed gratitude to Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and First Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Zelante for nominating him for the Law Journal designation. Hill also recognized the leadership and support he has gotten from Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri.
Prosecutor Knapp said that, “Drug Court is an essential element in combatting illicit drug abuse and recognizing addiction as a disease. Julian Hill epitomizes the service and sacrifice needed to battle this scourge.”
Hill, who graduated from Hampton University in Virginia in 1988, served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1986 through 1992. In 2011, Hill was qualified as attorney and counselor of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2012, he was recipient of the 2012 Morris Lifetime Achievement Award from the Patriots Path Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Additionally, Hill is vice-chairperson of the Morris County Mental Health Board, a former trustee of the Morris County Bar Association and a recipient of a Silver (lifetime) Membership in the NAACP.
The Law Journal said it looks at diversity in all its forms – ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. It said of the honorees, “While their daily duties vary widely, they all share a passion for and commitment to the law and advancing the legal profession.”