4th graders are invited to enter the My County Poster Contest, sponsored by the Constitutional Officers. 

For information about how the Surrogate's Office is operating during COVID-19 click here. 

Bernice "Tina" Jalloh, Surrogate

DUTIES: Probates wills: qualifies executors, administrators, and trustees and issues necessary documents for administering estates. As custodian of the funds belonging to minors’ estates, oversees the minors' assets and expenditures until the minor reaches majority. Processes mental incompetencies and conservatorships and handles all adoptions of minors and adults.

BIOGRAPHY:  Bernice “Tina” Jalloh, Esq. was sworn in as the Somerset County Surrogate on January 1, 2021. She is admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of New Jersey and the New Jersey Bar. She received a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University, a Masters degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University.

Mrs. Jalloh is a partner with her son Mohamed Jalloh at Jalloh & Jalloh, LLC which provides legal services focuses on non-profit representation, contract negotiations and review, general civil litigation, personal injuries, commercial and corporate transactions, immigration, consumer credit collection, landlord/tenant, real estate, will and estate planning, matrimonial/domestic relations/family law, adoptions, name changes, education and special education law. She has also volunteered for Legal Services of New Jersey representing clients pro bono especially in Surrogate and Family Courts.

Prior to her second career as an attorney, Mrs. Jalloh worked as the Administrative Director of Laboratories at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, University Hospital, and United Hospitals Medica Center. She also served as the Director of Training and Development at United Healthcare Systems, Inc.

Mrs. Jalloh serves on the Board of Directors of Egenof Early Childhood Learning Center and the Civic Knights. She is also a member of the National Council of Negro Women, the Association of Black Woman Lawyers, the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association, the New Jersey Muslim Voters Project, and served on the Somerset County Complete Count Committee.

Mrs. Jalloh has received the following awards: The 2019 Legal Services of New Jersey Equal Justice Award, the 2019 Outstanding Woman in Somerset County, the 2019 Family Unification Day Hero - Legal Services of New Jersey, 2018, New Jersey Judiciary Recognition Award, the 2018 National Council of Negro Woman New Jersey Recognition Award for Outstanding Woman in Industry, the 2018 Plainfield NJ NAACP Award, 2017 Eleanor Roosevelt Award, 2017 Lawyers of Distinction Award, the 2018 Certificate of Recognition for Pro Bono Service from the New Jersey Judiciary, and the Union County Woman of Excellence Award.

She is the daughter of the Reverend Doctor Clarence Bauknight, Jr., and Bernice Griffen Bauknight. She is the wife of Chernor Abdulai Jalloh. Above all things her greatest accomplishments are the success of her children, Mohamed Sellu Jalloh, Esq. Abubakar Jalloh R.M.C., Hawa Jalloh Bonds, P.M.P., and Hassatu Jalloh Bah and eleven grandchildren.