The face of South Jersey's judicial leadership underwent a major transformation this week. On Wednesday, New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced that the Honorable  Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, P.J.S.C. would replace retiring Camden Vicinage Assignment Judge Francis J. Orlando, Jr. as Camden County's top state-level jurist. The following press release was posted on the New Jersey judiciary's website: Chief Justice Stuart Rabner has announced that Superior  Court Judge Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina will lead the Camden Vicinage, effective  Feb. 1. He will succeed Assignment Judge Francis J. Orlando Jr., who is  retiring after 20 years on the bench and 16 years as assignment judge. “Judge Fernandez-Vina brings to the position of assignment  judge a wealth of experience, a proven, practical approach to addressing  issues, superb judgment and the respect of the bench and bar,” said Chief  Justice Rabner. “I am confident that under his leadership, the Camden Vicinage  will continue to provide the highest quality of service to the public. “We also thank Judge Orlando for his tireless commitment to  the cause of justice throughout his career. His exemplary work has made a  meaningful contribution to the Judiciary and the citizens of our state,” Chief  Justice Rabner added. Appointed to the bench by then-Gov. James E. McGreevey on  July 16, 2004, Judge Fernandez-Vina sat in the civil division of the Camden  Vicinage. He moved to the family division in 2006 and was named presiding judge  of the civil division on Feb. 1, 2007. While on the bench, Judge Fernandez-Vina  has served on a number of committees, including the Supreme Court Ad Hoc  Committee on the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Supreme Court Civil Practice  Committee. A graduate of Widener University and Rutgers University School of Law-Camden, Judge Fernandez-Vina served as a law clerk to  Superior Court Judge E. Stevenson Fluharty before going into private practice.  He became a certified civil trial attorney and has served on the District IV  Ethics Committee, the Supreme Court Committee on Character and the Supreme  Court Committee on Jury Selection. “I want to thank the chief justice for the opportunity to  serve the Camden Vicinage and the public in this new role,” said Judge  Fernandez-Vina. “I also want to thank my colleagues, who are among the best  judges anywhere, for their support and encouragement. I consider myself very  lucky to be working with such a talented and dedicated group of people.”   The Camden Vicinage is one of the New Jersey Superior Court's largest and busiest subdivisions.   At DeMichele and DeMichele, conveniently located in the suburban Camden County community of Haddon Heights, we regularly help hundreds of clients successfully navigate the South Jersey court system.  If you have  questions regarding your Camden County legal matter,  contact us now or call (856) 546-1354 today for a confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.