The New Jersey Senate confirmed claimants' attorney Fred Hopke as a workers' compensation judge, his firm announced Tuesday.

Fred Hopke
(Wilentz.com photo)

Hopke, of Metuchen, near Newark, was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy in February. He will be one of 42 comp judges in the state, handling claims disputes.

"Fred is a seasoned workers' compensation attorney whose experience and judgment will be of great value to the State of New Jersey," Brian Molloy, president of Hopke's firm, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, said in a statement.

Hopke has served as chairman of the firm's workers' comp group since 2005. Prior to joining the firm, Hopke was with a New Brunswick law firm, where he split his practice between personal injury litigation and workers' compensation.

Before law school in 1986, Hopke held management positions at a number of manufacturing companies, the firm noted. He graduated from New York Law School.