HON. YOLANDA CICCONE, A.J.S.C. (RET.)

With more than 45 years of experience at the bench and bar, Judge Yolanda Ciccone brings exceptional depth, judgment, and leadership to the resolution of complex civil disputes. Her career as a trial attorney, Superior Court Judge, Assignment Judge, and County Prosecutor has provided her with a rare and comprehensive perspective on litigation, case management, and dispute resolution.

Judge Ciccone has administered large organizations, supervising more than 50 attorneys and 250 personnel, and has presided over a broad spectrum of civil and criminal matters. This experience has given her a keen understanding of both institutional and individual perspectives, enabling her to bring parties together efficiently and effectively to achieve fair, practical, and durable resolutions, including employment-related and high-stakes disputes.

JUDICIAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Superior Court of New Jersey – Middlesex County
Judge of the Superior Court
Appointed October 16, 1991

Judge Ciccone served over 24 combined years on the Superior Court bench, sitting in every division of the court:

Civil Division (October 1991 – September 1992; September 1996 – July 2006)
Family Division (September 1992 – September 1993; September 1995 – July 1996)
Criminal Division (September 1993 – September 1995)

During her tenure, she presided over dozens of trials and handled extensive motion practice and settlement conferences involving personal injury, medical and legal malpractice, employment and discrimination claims, municipal matters, complex commercial contracts and lease disputes, insurance coverage matters, and mass tort litigation.

In 2005, Judge Ciccone was appointed Presiding Judge of the Civil Division, overseeing civil case management while maintaining an active trial docket.

Assignment Judge – Vicinage 13
Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties
Appointed September 2006

As Assignment Judge, Judge Ciccone oversaw the operations of three courthouses, supervised more than 20 judges and 250 employees, and maintained an active civil calendar of motions, settlement conferences, and bench trials.

She served the Judiciary in numerous leadership roles, including Chair of the Judiciary Budget Committee, Chair of the Conference of Wiretap Judges, Chair of the Conference of Business Court Judges, Chair of the Committee on Employee Extracurricular Activities, and Member of the Management and Operations Committee. During her tenure, she also oversaw the creation and implementation of the Business Court in New Jersey.

Middlesex County Prosecutor
Appointed July 2020

Following her retirement from the bench, Judge Ciccone was appointed Middlesex County Prosecutor, where she oversaw 50 attorneys, 250 employees, and 26 police departments.

In this role, she supervised major criminal investigations, internal affairs matters, and investigations involving allegations of misconduct and discrimination.

During her tenure, she initiated and implemented several landmark programs, including the ARRIVE Program, the New Jersey pilot Mental Health Court, the Special Needs Registry, and the Safe Place Program. She also developed extensive community outreach initiatives with educational institutions, statewide law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, and religious organizations.

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
Assistant Prosecutor
September 1981 – October 1991

Judge Ciccone served in progressively senior roles, including Assistant Prosecutor in the Juvenile Division, Trial Team Member, and Chief of the Juvenile Division. Her assignments included serving as legal advisor to the Narcotics and Gambling Task Force, providing guidance on complex legal and investigative matters.

HONORS AND AWARDS

2023 – New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, Platinum Award
2024 – New Jersey State Bar Association, Civil Trial Section, James J. McLaughlin Award
2024 – Middlesex County Bar Association, Arthur Miller Award
2024 – Middlesex College, Paige L’Hommedieu Citizenship Award

BIOGRAPHY

Judge Yolanda Ciccone was appointed to the Superior Court of New Jersey in October 1991 and initially assigned to the Civil Division in Middlesex County. Over the course of her judicial career, she served in every division of the Superior Court, ultimately returning to the Civil Division where she managed a demanding docket of trials, motions, and settlement conferences involving complex civil litigation.

In 2005, she was appointed Presiding Judge of the Civil Division, and in 2006, she became Assignment Judge of Vicinage 13, encompassing Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties. In that role, she balanced judicial administration with active case management while supervising court operations across multiple counties.

After retiring from the bench in 2020, Judge Ciccone was appointed Middlesex County Prosecutor, where she led one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in the state and launched innovative programs addressing mental health, public safety, and community engagement.

Drawing on decades of judicial leadership and dispute-resolution experience, Judge Ciccone has now joined her former colleagues at Sidebar Solutions, where she continues to assist parties in achieving thoughtful, efficient, and equitable resolutions.

EDUCATION

Douglass College, Rutgers University, Bachelor of Arts, 1976
Seton Hall University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1980
Project Editor, Seton Hall Legislative Journal
Law Clerk to the Honorable John E. Bachman, J.S.C., 1980–1981