lawmakers were back in Trenton today as the lame duck session continues in the state house outside a coalition of activist groups rallied for the so-called people's lame duck agenda urging lawmakers to pass more than a dozen stall bills that would address a range of social justice issues including the creation of same day voter registration and a permanent extension of the corporate business tax search charge that's money they argue the state could use for a good cause like funding and J Transit but inside a different issue took Center Stage as Senators considered new judicial nominations to address the long running vacancy crisis in the state court system senior correspondent Brenda Flanigan reports I stand before you as the proud daughter of a Peruvian immigrant Raquel vijo told her personal story to Senators poised to vote on her nomination to New Jersey Superior Court one of 11 new nominees approved today by the Senate Judiciary committee Vio pointed out her 90-year-old mom in the audience I was raised by a single mother who taught me the value of Education hard work perseverance and determination thanks to her sacrifices I'm living proof that the American dream is attainable she's over there where you mom can she stand I am the fruit of her labor and I wouldn't be here today if she didn't have the courage to come to this country to give me a better life Vio is a matrimonial lawyer from Union County if confirmed by the full Senate she'd serve in the Family Division really a lot of experience in a tough area of the law lots of folks don't love that assignment I know she's going to embrace it if she gets it and uh and and and be an expert right off the bat lawmakers unanimously approved every nominee before them 19 of them already seated judges up for Renewal but with New Jersey facing a crippling shortage of some 67 judges the 11 new ones would finally start filling vacancies four Counties have put civil and matrimonial trials on hold hun in Somerset Warren and pic it impacts custody in child support cases says the president elect of the pic bar the greatest percentage of people who suffer with this shortage are the children they're forced to live in situations in which there is dysfunction in which there is abuse between parties and they are going and we as a society we're going to suffer the repercussions than later we certainly appreciate uh the Senate President um putting this huge group on today of reappointments and appointments um and we think it's going to make a big difference uh moving forward but it would still leave the bench 56 judges short says Tim mcgoffin who heads the New Jersey Bar Association he says more are in the immediate pipeline I know there's at least 10 or 12 that really should be put on the um committee agenda hopefully sooner rather than later I can only confirm who's nominated and we don't have any pending now this we just cleared the decks today Senate President Nick scari bristles over the vacancies narrative noting the Judiciary also relies on recall judges return to the bench to fill gaps sources confirm about 70 recall judges do work in the system but they're just part-time the vacancies remain at critical levels the work that went into today's meeting went on all fall so this the prep work is really where all the work is um and if somebody gets nominated by the governor it's kind of not the end that's more of the beginning of our process New Jersey chief justice has issued a dire warning to lawmakers to work faster and put politics aside as they work towards bringing the bench back up to speed so it's a balance between you know rushing to fill judges judgeships and making sure that the people are really really screened so I understand the concern and look we should go as quickly as we can and I'm not saying we can move a little faster but let me tell you it is a it is a very strenuous process and it's it works well when it works the nominees still need to be confirmed by the full Senate its next scheduled session is Monday December 11th at the State House in Trenton I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News