Page 22 - CLT061421

22 ■ JUNE 14, 2021 NEWS

Senate Confirms Joe Biden’s

First Federal Judge

By Charles Toutant

he U.S. Senate has confirmed Neals was picked as the first Biden
Julien Neals to a judgeship nominee to be confirmed, because
Ton the U.S. District Court for he was nominated once before and
the District of New Jersey, provid- in recognition of the extreme judge
ing sorely needed assistance to New shortage in New Jersey, said Carl
Jersey’s short-handed federal bench. Tobias, a professor of law at the
Neals, the Bergen County counsel University of Richmond who stud-
and a former chief judge of Newark’s ies the federal judiciary. The margin
municipal court, was approved by a of the confirmation vote was “pretty
66-33 vote of the Senate on Tuesday strong,” given the makeup of the
morning. He becomes the first judi- Senate, Tobias said.
cial nominee of President Joe Biden The confirmation vote came after
Julien Neals, U.S. district
to receive a confirmation vote. judge for the District of New a 66-28 vote of the Senate on Mon-
Three other nominees for Jersey nominee for President day to close the debate on Neals’
judgeships in the District of New Joe Biden, speaks during a nomination.
Jersey—Zahid Quraishi, Christine Senate Judiciary Committee At Monday’s hearing, Sen. Cory
confirmation hearing in
O’Hearn and Karen Williams—still Washington, D.C., on April 28, Booker called Neals “brilliant.”
await confirmation hearings. 2021. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/ “He is thoughtful. He is deliber-
‘Judicial Emergency’ Reuters/Bloomberg ate in his decision-making. He has
Neals’ confirmation brings relief all of the ideals that I think we want
to a court with a heavy caseload and a long-running in a federal judge,” Booker said. “I know him, I know
shortage of judges. his parents, I know his family. I know his kids. He is
But even with his confirmation, five out of the 17 one of those people that would make you proud. I
seats on New Jersey’s district court remain vacant. know he will make us proud in the way that he leads
The U.S. Judicial Conference has declared New Jer- from the bench.”
sey’s federal courts a “judicial emergency,” based on Neals and Quraishi were advanced by the Senate
the caseload per judge. Judiciary Committee on May 20, with some Repub-
During the presidential term of Donald Trump, lican members of the committee putting up varying
no judicial nominations were made for New Jersey, levels of opposition to both nominees.
and the last new judge to join the court was Brian Neals grew up in Newark and East Orange. He
Martinotti in July 2016. received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse Col-
For Neals, the confirmation vote is no doubt made lege and attended law school at Emory University.
especially satisfying thanks to his long path to a Between his stints with Newark and Bergen County,
judgeship. He was first nominated to the court by Neals was a partner at what is now Chasan Lam-
President Barack Obama in February 2015, and in parello Mallon & Cappuzzo, where he also worked
November of that year his name was reported out from 1992 to 2006. ■
of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But Neals’ first
nomination expired in January 2017 after no vote Charles Toutant is a litigation writer for the New
was called in the Senate. Jersey Law Journal.

CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune