A sitting judge and a Wilmington lawyer who specializes in municipal and government law have been nominated for the Delaware Supreme Court.
A Delaware Superior Court judge and a Wilmington lawyer who specializes in working with municipalities and governments have been nominated by Gov. John Carney to fill seats on the Delaware Supreme Court.
Abigail LeGrow
Judge Abigail LeGrow and N. Christopher Griffiths will require confirmation by the Delaware Senate before taking the seat held by Justice Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves, who was appointed to a federal appeals court, and the seat that will be vacated by retiring Justice James T. Vaughn Jr.
Griffiths is the second Black lawyer nominated to the state’s Supreme Court, noted Citizens for Judicial Fairness, which has spent millions advocating for judges of color for Delaware’s courts.
Montgomery-Reeves was the first.
While Delaware has had courts for hundreds of years, the Supreme Court was established in 1951.
Citizens for Judicial Fairness, which grew out of a contentious Chancery Court judgment, has complained that the racial makeup of the courts do not match the state’s demographics.
Keandra McDole, activist and Citizens for Judicial Fairness spokesperson, called Griffiths’ nomination “a victory for all of us who have organized for courts that look like us rather than the all-white courts of old.”
“There is no question that our hard work and dedicated advocacy across Delaware since these vacancies opened was instrumental in compelling Governor Carney to do the right thing and make this appointment,” she said. “But we need more, and this nomination is merely a first step.
“The Chancery Court remains all-white and Black justices continue to be drastically underrepresented in our state’s top courts. We will not rest until the judiciary in our state actually looks like the people of our state.”
While it’s true that there is no Black Chancery judge, the court includes Master in Chancery Loren Mitchell, who was appointed in December 2022.
LeGrow was appointed by Governor Markell and began serving in February 2016.
Christopher Griffiths
Prior to that, she appointed a Master in Chancery on the Delaware Court of Chancery by then-Chancellor Leo E. Strine Jr.
She received her law degree from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in political science from Susquehanna University.
Griffiths is a partner at Connolly Gallagher LLP focusing on administrative and government law; corporate and commercial litigation; bankruptcy law; and general litigation. according to his biography.
Before entering private practice, Chris served as a wealth manager for the Wilmington Trust Co. and the Vanguard Group.
He received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He also is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Salesianum School.
Griffiths sits on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware; Children & Families First of Delaware; Ministry of Caring; Sacred Heart Village; and the Wilmington Library.
“I believe both Judge LeGrow and Chris Griffiths have the experience, knowledge and commitment to public service necessary to serve on the Supreme Court,” Carney said in a statement. “Judge LeGrow brings experience from various Delaware courts, and Chris brings extensive litigation expertise. I want to thank these two qualified nominees for their willingness to serve the people of the State of Delaware, and I look forward to the Senate considering their nominations.”
