Laks Kattalai Named Chief Information Officer for the New Jersey Judiciary

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner has named Lakshminarayanan “Laks” Kattalai as chief information officer for the Judiciary, effective Feb. 1.

Kattalai, assistant director for application services for the Judiciary’s Information Technology Office (ITO), succeeds John “Jack” P. McCarthy III, who retires after 34 years with the Judiciary, the last 12 as chief information officer.

Kattalai will be responsible for all judicial branch information technology staff, infrastructure, operations, and strategic planning in his new position. He also will oversee application services, cloud technology adoption, technology services, data and analytics, enterprise architecture, the Center of Excellence (COE), and the Project Management Office.

“Laks Kattalai worked his way up through the Judiciary’s IT division and assumed significant responsibility during his two decades of working for this organization. He’s shown a dedication and commitment to improving our systems. For example, his contributions were crucial as we moved through Criminal Justice Reform and the Covid-19 pandemic. I am confident he will expand upon the great legacy that Mr. McCarthy has built for a critical operation within the Judiciary,” Judge Glenn A. Grant, acting administrative director of the courts, said.

Kattalai joined the Judiciary in 1999 as a senior analyst consultant and contributed to developing case management systems in the various divisions of the Judiciary. He joined the Judiciary as a full-time employee in 2005 and helped to establish ITO’s enterprise project management office. In 2013, he served as ITO manager, overseeing the development of the software applications for Criminal Justice Reform, the Judiciary’s search and data warrant system, and the eCourts expungement system.  

“From the creation of infrastructure to support Criminal Justice Reform, to the overnight switch to a remote workplace during Covid-19, the Information Technology Office under Jack McCarthy played a pivotal role in realizing initiatives that modernized our court system and furthered the cause of justice in New Jersey,” Chief Justice Rabner said. “We are fortunate to name Laks Kattalai as his successor and wish Laks continued success as the office continues for the challenges of the future.”

In 2020, Kattalai was promoted to his current position, where he is responsible for the administrative operations, project prioritization, planning, and budgeting for more than 200 staff members in the Judiciary’s applications services unit. In this role, he managed multiple teams that built software applications to modernize court operations, migrated the Judiciary’s on-premises document system to the cloud, and developed many applications that provided online capabilities and services to users during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among his accolades, Kattalai earned the Judiciary’s Technology Innovation and Leadership award for his role in creating Criminal Justice Reform applications. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Pilani, India; a master’s degree in software systems from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science; and a Master of Business Administration degree in business management from Strayer University in Trevose, Pa.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Judiciary in my new role. I am proud to say I am the product of the Judiciary leadership that focuses on the greater good behind our work. I am excited to drive innovation, harness technology, and unlock new possibilities in our court systems and operations,” Kattalai said.