United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
(D.N.J.)
Location	Martin Luther King Building & U.S. Courthouse (Newark) More locations Mitchell H. Cohen U.S. Courthouse (Camden) Clarkson S. Fisher Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (Trenton)
Appeals to	Third Circuit
Established	September 24, 1789
Judges	17
Chief Judge	Renée Marie Bumb
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney	Alina Habba
U.S. Marshal	Juan Mattos Jr.
www.njd.uscourts.gov

The Judiciary Act of 1789 established New Jersey as a single District on September 24, 1789. On February 13, 1801 the Judiciary Act of 1801 reorganized the federal court system, resulting in the state being divided into Eastern and Western districts. The Judiciary Act of 1801 was repealed on March 8, 1802 and New Jersey was re-established as a single district court.

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of March 24, 2025^[update] the acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey is Alina Habba.

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey holds court at Mitchell H. Cohen Building & U.S. Courthouse in Camden, at Martin Luther King Building & U.S. Courthouse and Frank R. Lautenberg Post Office and Courthouse in Newark, and Clarkson S. Fisher Building & U.S. Courthouse in Trenton.

• Camden Vicinage comprises Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties.

• Newark Vicinage comprises Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Union counties, and the northern part of Middlesex County.

• Trenton Vicinage comprises Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Warren counties, and the southern part of Middlesex County.

Current judges

As of May 31, 2024^[update]:

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
77	Chief Judge	Renée Marie Bumb	Camden	1960	2006–present	2023–present	—	G.W. Bush
80	District Judge	Susan D. Wigenton	Newark	1962	2006–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
81	District Judge	Claire C. Cecchi	Newark	1964	2011–present	—	—	Obama
82	District Judge	Esther Salas	Newark	1968	2011–present	—	—	Obama
84	District Judge	Michael A. Shipp	Trenton	1965	2012–present	—	—	Obama
85	District Judge	Madeline Cox Arleo	Newark	1963	2014–present	—	—	Obama
87	District Judge	Brian R. Martinotti	Trenton	1961	2016–present	—	—	Obama
88	District Judge	Julien Neals	Newark	1965	2021–present	—	—	Biden
89	District Judge	Zahid Quraishi	Trenton	1975	2021–present	—	—	Biden
90	District Judge	Christine O'Hearn	Camden	1969	2021–present	—	—	Biden
91	District Judge	Karen M. Williams	Camden	1963	2021–present	—	—	Biden
92	District Judge	Georgette Castner	Trenton	1979	2022–present	—	—	Biden
93	District Judge	Evelyn Padin	Newark	1960	2022–present	—	—	Biden
94	District Judge	Michael E. Farbiarz	Newark	1973	2023–present	—	—	Biden
95	District Judge	Robert Kirsch	Trenton	1966	2023–present	—	—	Biden
96	District Judge	Jamel K. Semper	Newark	1981	2023–present	—	—	Biden
97	District Judge	Edward S. Kiel	Camden	1965	2024–present	—	—	Biden
51	Senior Judge	Anne Elise Thompson	inactive	1934	1979–2001	1994–2001	2001–present	Carter
54	Senior Judge	Joseph H. Rodriguez	Camden	1930	1985–1998	—	1998–present	Reagan
62	Senior Judge	Mary Little Cooper	inactive	1946	1992–2011	—	2011–present	G.H.W. Bush
68	Senior Judge	Katharine Sweeney Hayden	Newark	1942	1997–2010	—	2010–present	Clinton
72	Senior Judge	Bill Martini	Newark	1947	2002–2015	—	2015–present	G.W. Bush
74	Senior Judge	Stanley R. Chesler	Newark	1947	2002–2015	—	2015–present	G.W. Bush
79	Senior Judge	Peter G. Sheridan	inactive	1950	2006–2018	—	2018–present	G.W. Bush
83	Senior Judge	Kevin McNulty	inactive	1954	2012–2023	—	2023–present	Obama

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born–died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	David Brearley	NJ	1745–1790	1789–1790	—	—	Washington	death
2	Robert Morris	NJ	1745–1815	1790–1801 1802–1815	—	—	Washington Operation of law	reassignment to E.D.N.J. / W.D.N.J. death
3	William Sanford Pennington	NJ	1757–1826	1815–1826	—	—	Madison	death
4	William Rossell	NJ	1760–1840	1826–1840	—	—	J.Q. Adams	death
5	Mahlon Dickerson	NJ	1770–1853	1840–1841	—	—	Van Buren	resignation
6	Philemon Dickerson	NJ	1788–1862	1841–1862	—	—	Van Buren	death
7	Richard Stockton Field	NJ	1803–1870	1863–1870	—	—	Lincoln	resignation
8	John T. Nixon	NJ	1820–1889	1870–1889	—	—	Grant	death
9	Edward T. Green	NJ	1837–1896	1889–1896	—	—	B. Harrison	death
10	Andrew Kirkpatrick	NJ	1844–1904	1896–1904	—	—	Cleveland	death
11	William M. Lanning	NJ	1849–1912	1904–1909	—	—	T. Roosevelt	elevation to 3d Cir.
12	Joseph Cross	NJ	1843–1913	1905–1913	—	—	T. Roosevelt	death
13	John Rellstab	NJ	1858–1930	1909–1928	—	1928–1930	Taft	death
14	Thomas Griffith Haight	NJ	1879–1942	1914–1919	—	—	Wilson	elevation to 3d Cir.
15	John Warren Davis	NJ	1867–1945	1916–1920	—	—	Wilson	elevation to 3d Cir.
16	Charles Francis Lynch	NJ	1884–1942	1919–1925	—	—	Wilson	resignation
17	Joseph Lamb Bodine	NJ	1883–1950	1920–1929	—	—	Wilson	resignation
18	William Nelson Runyon	NJ	1871–1931	1923–1931	—	—	Harding	death
19	William Clark	NJ	1891–1957	1925–1938	—	—	Coolidge	elevation to 3d Cir.
20	James William McCarthy	NJ	1872–1939	1928–1929	—	—	Coolidge	resignation
21	Guy Leverne Fake	NJ	1879–1957	1929–1951	1948–1951	1951–1957	Coolidge	death
22	John Boyd Avis	NJ	1875–1944	1929–1944	—	—	Hoover	death
23	Phillip Forman	NJ	1895–1978	1932–1959	1951–1959	—	Hoover	elevation to 3d Cir.
24	Thomas Glynn Walker	NJ	1899–1993	1939–1941	—	—	F. Roosevelt	resignation
25	William Francis Smith	NJ	1903–1968	1941–1961	1959–1961	—	F. Roosevelt	elevation to 3d Cir.
26	Thomas Francis Meaney	NJ	1888–1968	1942–1966	—	1966–1968	F. Roosevelt	death
27	Thomas M. Madden	NJ	1907–1976	1945–1968	1961–1968	1968–1976	Truman	death
28	Alfred Egidio Modarelli	NJ	1898–1957	1951–1957	—	—	Truman	death
29	Richard Hartshorne	NJ	1888–1975	1951–1961	—	1961–1975	Truman	death
30	Reynier Jacob Wortendyke Jr.	NJ	1895–1975	1955–1970	—	1970–1975	Eisenhower	death
31	Mendon Morrill	NJ	1902–1961	1958–1961	—	—	Eisenhower	death
32	Arthur Stephen Lane	NJ	1910–1997	1960–1967	—	—	Eisenhower	resignation
33	Anthony Thomas Augelli	NJ	1902–1985	1961–1972	1968–1972	1972–1974	Kennedy	resignation
34	James Aloysius Coolahan	NJ	1903–1986	1962–1974	1972–1973	1974–1986	Kennedy	death
35	Robert Shaw	NJ	1907–1972	1962–1972	—	—	Kennedy	death
36	Mitchell Harry Cohen	NJ	1904–1991	1962–1974	1973–1974	1974–1991	Kennedy	death
37	Lawrence Aloysius Whipple	NJ	1910–1983	1967–1978	1974–1978	1978–1983	L. Johnson	death
38	George Herbert Barlow	NJ	1921–1979	1969–1979	1978–1979	—	Nixon	death
39	Leonard I. Garth	NJ	1921–2016	1969–1973	—	—	Nixon	elevation to 3d Cir.
40	Clarkson Sherman Fisher	NJ	1921–1997	1970–1987	1979–1987	1987–1997	Nixon	death
41	John Joseph Kitchen	NJ	1911–1973	1970–1973	—	—	Nixon	death
42	Frederick Bernard Lacey	NJ	1920–2017	1971–1986	—	—	Nixon	retirement
43	Vincent P. Biunno	NJ	1916–1991	1973–1982	—	1982–1991	Nixon	death
44	Herbert Jay Stern	NJ	1936–present	1973–1987	—	—	Nixon	resignation
45	Henry Curtis Meanor	NJ	1929–2008	1974–1983	—	—	Nixon	resignation
46	John F. Gerry	NJ	1925–1995	1974–1994	1987–1994	1994–1995	Ford	death
47	Stanley Brotman	NJ	1924–2014	1975–1990	—	1990–2014	Ford	death
48	Harold Arnold Ackerman	NJ	1928–2009	1979–1994	—	1994–2009	Carter	death
49	Dickinson Richards Debevoise	NJ	1924–2015	1979–1994	—	1994–2015	Carter	death
50	H. Lee Sarokin	NJ	1928–2023	1979–1994	—	—	Carter	elevation to 3d Cir.
52	John Winslow Bissell	NJ	1940–present	1982–2005	2001–2005	—	Reagan	retirement
53	Maryanne Trump Barry	NJ	1937–2023	1983–1999	—	—	Reagan	elevation to 3d Cir.
55	Robert Cowen	NJ	1930–present	1985–1987	—	—	Reagan	elevation to 3d Cir.
56	Garrett Brown Jr.	NJ	1943–present	1985–2012	2005–2012	2012	Reagan	retirement
57	Alfred James Lechner Jr.	NJ	1948–present	1986–2001	—	—	Reagan	resignation
58	Nicholas H. Politan	NJ	1935–2012	1987–2002	—	—	Reagan	retirement
59	Alfred M. Wolin	NJ	1932–present	1987–2000	—	2000–2004	Reagan	retirement
60	John C. Lifland	NJ	1933–present	1988–2001	—	2001–2007	Reagan	retirement
61	William G. Bassler	NJ	1938–present	1991–2005	—	2005–2006	G.H.W. Bush	retirement
63	Joseph Eron Irenas	NJ	1940–2015	1992–2002	—	2002–2015	G.H.W. Bush	death
64	Jerome B. Simandle	NJ	1949–2019	1992–2017	2012–2017	2017–2019	G.H.W. Bush	death
65	William H. Walls	NJ	1932–2019	1994–2005	—	2005–2019	Clinton	death
66	Stephen Orlofsky	NJ	1944–present	1995–2003	—	—	Clinton	resignation
67	Joseph A. Greenaway Jr.	NJ	1957–present	1996–2010	—	—	Clinton	elevation to 3d Cir.
69	Faith S. Hochberg	NJ	1950–present	1999–2015	—	—	Clinton	retirement
70	Joel A. Pisano	NJ	1949–2021	2000–2015	—	—	Clinton	retirement
71	Dennis M. Cavanaugh	NJ	1947–present	2000–2014	—	—	Clinton	retirement
73	Jose L. Linares	NJ	1953–present	2002–2019	2017–2019	—	G.W. Bush	retirement
75	Robert B. Kugler	NJ	1950–present	2002–2018	—	2018–2024	G.W. Bush	retirement
76	Freda L. Wolfson	NJ	1954–present	2002–2023	2019–2023	—	G.W. Bush	retirement
78	Noel Lawrence Hillman	NJ	1956–present	2006–2022	—	2022–2024	G.W. Bush	retirement
86	John Michael Vazquez	NJ	1970–present	2016–2023	—	—	Obama	resignation

1. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 17, 1790, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 20, 1790, and received commission the same day
2. Reassigned from the E.D.N.J. / W.D.N.J.
3. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 8, 1816, confirmed by the Senate on January 9, 1816, and received commission on January 16, 1816
4. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 13, 1826, confirmed by the Senate on December 19, 1826, and received commission the same day
5. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 16, 1889, confirmed by the Senate on January 27, 1890, and received commission the same day
6. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1896, confirmed by the Senate on December 15, 1896, and received commission the same day
7. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1904, confirmed by the Senate on December 13, 1904, and received commission the same day
8. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1925, confirmed by the Senate on December 17, 1925, and received commission the same day
9. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1928, confirmed by the Senate on January 8, 1929, and received commission the same day
10. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 16, 1940, confirmed by the Senate on March 5, 1940, and received commission on March 13, 1940

Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.

A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.

When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

Succession of seats

Seat 1 Seat established on September 24, 1789 by 1 Stat. 73 Brearley 1789–1790 Morris 1790–1801 Seat abolished on February 13, 1801 by 2 Stat. 89 Seat reestablished on March 8, 1802 by 2 Stat. 132 Morris 1802–1815 Pennington 1816–1826 Rossell 1826–1840 M. Dickerson 1840–1841 P. Dickerson 1841–1862 Field 1863–1870 Nixon 1870–1889 Green 1890–1896 Kirkpatrick 1896–1904 Lanning 1904–1909 Rellstab 1909–1928 McCarthy 1928–1929 Fake 1929–1951 Hartshorne 1951–1961 Cohen 1962–1974 Brotman 1975–1990 Bassler 1991–2005 Hillman 2006–2022 Farbiarz 2023–present

Seat 2 Seat established on March 3, 1905 by 33 Stat. 987 Cross 1905–1913 Haight 1914–1919 Lynch 1919–1925 Clark 1925–1938 Walker 1939–1941 Meaney 1942–1966 Whipple 1967–1978 Sarokin 1979–1994 Hayden 1997–2010 Salas 2011–present

Seat 3 Seat established on April 11, 1916 by 39 Stat. 48 Davis 1916–1920 Bodine 1920–1929 Avis 1929–1944 Madden 1945–1968 Garth 1969–1973 Stern 1973–1987 Politan 1987–2002 Wolfson 2002–2023 Kirsch 2023–present

Seat 4 Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary) Runyon 1923–1931 Seat made permanent on May 10, 1932 by 47 Stat. 161 Forman 1932–1959 Lane 1960–1967 Barlow 1969–1979 Ackerman 1979–1994 Walls 1994–2005 Bumb 2006–present

Seat 5 Seat established on March 24, 1940 by 54 Stat. 219 (temporary) Seat made permanent on December 22, 1944 by 58 Stat. 887 Smith 1941–1961 Shaw 1962–1972 Biunno 1973–1982 Bissell 1982–2005 Wigenton 2006–present

Seat 6 Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 Modarelli 1951–1957 Morrill 1958–1961 Coolahan 1962–1974 Gerry 1974–1994 Greenaway, Jr. 1996–2010 Cecchi 2011–present

Seat 7 Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8 Wortendyke, Jr. 1955–1970 Fisher 1970–1987 Lifland 1988–2001 Martini 2002–2015 Neals 2021–present

Seat 8 Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 Augelli 1961–1972 Seat abolished on April 1, 1972 (temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 9 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 Kitchen 1970–1973 Meanor 1974–1983 Barry 1983–1999 Pisano 2000–2015 Vazquez 2016–2023 Semper 2023–present

Seat 10 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 (temporary) Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 8 on April 1, 1972 Lacey 1971–1986 Lechner, Jr. 1986–2001 Linares 2002–2019 Castner 2022–present

Seat 11 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Debevoise 1979–1994 Orlofsky 1995–2003 Sheridan 2006–2018 Quraishi 2021–present

Seat 12 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Thompson 1979–2001 Chesler 2002–2015 Martinotti 2016–present

Seat 13 Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Rodriguez 1985–1998 Hochberg 1999–2015 Padin 2022–present

Seat 14 Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Cowen 1985–1987 Wolin 1987–2000 Cavanaugh 2000–2014 Arleo 2014–present

Seat 15 Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Brown, Jr. 1985–2012 McNulty 2012–2023 Kiel 2024–present

Seat 16 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Cooper 1992–2011 Shipp 2012–present

Seat 17 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Irenas 1992–2002 Kugler 2002–2018 O'Hearn 2021–present

Seat 18 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Simandle 1992–2017 Williams 2021–present

List of U.S. attorneys

See also

• Courts of New Jersey
• List of current United States district judges
• List of United States federal courthouses in New Jersey

References

1. http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_nj.html U.S. District Courts New Jersey, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
2. "28 U.S.C. § 110 - U.S. Code Title 28. Judiciary and Judicial Procedure § 110". Findlaw.
3. "District of New Jersey - Courthouse Locations". U.S. Marshals Service.

External links

• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey Official Website
• United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Official Website
• Thomas Library of Congress
• New Jersey Court^{[dead link]}