McCarter & English partner Scott A. Kobler has been named the 2025 recipient of the Loretta Weinberg Award for Journalism Impact, presented by the Corporation for New Jersey Local Media (CNJLM). The award honors non-journalists who have made significant, lasting contributions to journalism in New Jersey.
An attorney for nearly 45 years, Kobler has built a nationally regarded practice in health care, higher education, and affordable housing finance at McCarter & English. He is also a tireless advocate for nonprofit leadership, having provided long-standing counsel to organizations focused on public broadcasting, responsible journalism, education, the performing arts, and accessible health care for underserved communities.
For more than three decades, Kobler has played a pivotal role in shaping New Jersey’s public media landscape. He served as chair of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJN) under five governors, helped establish the NJN Foundation—which raised more than $100 million for public media—and currently chairs Public Media New Jersey, Inc., part of The WNET Group and the operator of NJ PBS and NJ Spotlight News. His leadership has been instrumental in sustaining public broadcasting, enhancing local news coverage, and expanding access to trusted public affairs programming statewide.
Kobler will be the fourth recipient of the Loretta Weinberg Award for Journalism Impact. The award will be presented at CNJLM’s annual Byrne Kean Dinner, held on November 18, 2025, at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park. The event celebrates the bipartisan legacies of former Governors Brendan Byrne and Tom Kean, building on their renowned “Byrne-Kean Dialogues” published in The Star-Ledger.
“Congratulations to Scott on this well-deserved recognition,” said McCarter Chair Joseph Lubertazzi. “His unwavering commitment to public service and journalistic integrity exemplifies the highest ideals of our profession. Scott’s work demonstrates the powerful role legal insight can play in supporting truth, transparency, and civic engagement.”
In addition to this latest honor, Kobler has earned numerous accolades throughout his distinguished career. He has been ranked in Public Finance (Band 1) and Healthcare by Chambers USA for nearly two decades and was awarded the Essex County Bar Association’s 2025 Samuel S. Saiber Professional Achievement Award. He has also been named Lawyer of the Year in Health Care Law and Public Finance Law by Best Lawyers in America, and recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer. His professional achievements have been recognized by NJBIZ, which included him as a Leaders in Law Honoree, gave him its ICON Award, and included him on its Law Power 50 and Power 50 in Healthcare lists.
Established in 2022, the Loretta Weinberg Award honors the legacy of former State Senator Loretta Weinberg, a trailblazer who championed government transparency and accountability throughout her more than 30 years of public service.
Explore ways to support the Byrne Kean dinner: https://go.rallyup.com/bk2025/Campaign/Details