Jane Schuster

Jane Schuster is the Senior Advisor for Police Accountability at the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), a position she has held since November 2021.1 Her role involves leading the OSC's Police Accountability Project, which examines issues related to police conduct and accountability.2

Professional Background

Prior to joining the OSC, Schuster had a notable career in the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, where she worked for nearly a decade.2 During her time there, she:

• Served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Division of Criminal Justice
• Prosecuted criminal appeals, including eight cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court
• Worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Division of Law's Appellate Practice Group
• Oversaw approximately 1,700 state and federal court civil appellate matters annually1

Schuster developed expertise in various aspects of law enforcement, including:

• The legality and propriety of police encounters
• Internal affairs and disciplinary processes
• Police training
• Search and seizure law
• Miranda issues

She also contributed to several initiatives, such as:

• Teaching search and seizure law to police and prosecutors
• Co-chairing the Education-Law Enforcement Working Group
• Working on police training initiatives for mental health and crisis intervention1

Education and Early Career

Jane Schuster's educational background includes:

• Law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
• Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts
• Master's in Educational Theater from NYU's Steinhardt School of Education1

After law school, Schuster clerked for the Honorable Helen E. Hoens, Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. She then joined Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she handled complex litigation and maintained a significant pro bono practice.1

In her current role at the OSC, Schuster is responsible for evaluating policies for detecting and addressing officer misconduct and assessing whether police training programs comply with state guidelines.3 Her extensive experience in law enforcement and legal matters makes her well-suited to address the complexities surrounding policing and police reform efforts.