Julien Xavier Neals

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

Tenure

2021 - Present

Years in position

4

Education

Bachelor's

Morehouse College, 1982

Law

Emory University of Law, 1991

Contact

Official website

Julien Xavier Neals is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Neals was nominated to the court by PresidentJoe Biden (D) on April 19, 2021, and confirmed by theUnited States Senate on June 8, 2021, by a vote of 66-33.^[1][2][3] Neals was one of 235Article III judges nominated by PresidentJoe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed byJoe Biden,click here.

TheUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.

Prior to his nomination, Neals was a county counsel forBergen County, New Jersey.^[3]

On February 26, 2015, Neals was nominated to theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey by PresidentBarack Obama (D).^[4] On January 3, 2017, Neals' nomination was returned to President Obama at thesine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.^[5]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (2021-present)

See also:Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On April 19, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden (D) nominated Neals to theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He was confirmed by a 66-33 vote of the U.S. Senate on June 8, 2021. He received commission on June 22, 2021.^[1] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
Name: Julien Neals
Court:United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Progress
Confirmed 50 days after nomination.
ANominated: April 19, 2021
AABA Rating:Well qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
AHearing: April 28, 2021
QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more)
AReported: May 20, 2021
AConfirmed: June 8, 2021
AVote: 66-33

Confirmation vote

TheU.S. Senate confirmed Neals on June 8, 2021, on a vote of 66-33.^[6] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.

Julien Xavier Neals confirmation vote (June 8, 2021)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	48	0	0
Republican	17	33	0
Independent	1	0	1
Total	66	33	1

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The committee voted to advance Neals' nomination to the full Senate on May 20, 2021.

Nomination

On March 30, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate Neals to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The president officially nominated Neals on April 19.^[1][3]

Neals was nominated to replace JudgeWilliam Martini, who assumedsenior status on February 10, 2015.^[1]

TheAmerican Bar Association rated NealsWell Qualified.^[7] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (2015)

Julien Xavier Neals received a nomination to theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey on February 26, 2015, from PresidentBarack Obama. On the nomination:

TheAmerican Bar Association rated NealsUnanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.^[9]

Neals' Committee on the Judiciary hearing was held on September 30, 2015, and his nomination was reported to the full Senate on November 5, 2015. On January 3, 2017, Neals' nomination was returned to President Obama at the sine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.^[5]

Education

Neals earned his B.A. from Morehouse College in 1986 and hisJ.D. from the Emory University School of Law in 1991.^[3]

Professional career

• 2015-2021: County counsel,Bergen County, New Jersey
• 2014-2015: Attorney,Chasan Leyner & Lamparello, P.C.
• 2006-2014: City of Newark

• 2010-2014:' Business Administrator
• 2008-2010: Corporation counsel
• 2006-2008: Chief judge, Newark Municipal Court

• 1992-2006: Associate,Chasan Leyner & Lamparello, P.C.
• 1991-1992: Law clerk, Judge Seymour Margulies,New Jersey Vicinage 6^[4][10]

Awards and associations

Note: The awards and associations below are listed as they appeared on Neals' 2015 Senate Judiciaryquestionnaire.

Awards

• 2014: Gibbons Trendsetter Award
• 2014: Black History Month Celebration Recognition Award, Essex County Prosecutor's Office
• 2014: Greater Newark Conservancy Special Recognition Award
• 2013: Outstanding Public Service Award, Caribbean American Heritage & Cultural Foundation of New Jersey
• 2011: Pro Bono Leader Award, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
• 2011: Administrator's Award, Honorable Luis A. Quintana, Councilman at Large, 17th Annual Breakfast
• 2011: Guest of Honor Award, Newark Firefighters Union
• 2011: Certificate of Appreciation Walk for Community Empowerment, Urban League of Essex County
• 2010: Walter A. Lucas Special Merit Award, Essex County Bar Association
• 2010: Men of Vision, Famous Fathers Famous Sons Recognition, Newark Municipal Council President Mildred C. Crump
• 2009: New Jersey Business Community Award, Caribbean American Business Association
• 2008: Flame Award, Second Annual Comprehensive Summer Internship Program, City of Newark Law Department
• 2008: Inaugural Essence of Inspiration Award, Newark Emergency Services for Families
• 2008: Recognition Award, Essex County Municipal Court Judges Association
• 2007: Certificate of Appreciation Annual Men's Career Day, Rutgers University
• 2007: Benjamin E. Mays Excellence in Community Service Award, United Negro College Fund
• 2007: Certificate of Special Recognition Career Day, First Avenue School Newark
• 2007: Certificate of Appreciation Urban League of Essex County Career Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School

Associations

• 2014: Legislative committee member, New Jersey League of Municipalities
• 2011-2014: Board member, Newark Downtown District
• 2010-2011: Trustee, New Jersey State Bar Foundation
• 2009: Planning committee member, Fugitive Safe Surrender Newark Program,New Jersey
• 2008-Present: Board of trustees, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice

• 2011-2013: Chairman

• 2007-2008: Steering committee member, Newark Reentry Legal Services
• 2002-2006: Trustee, Hudson County Bar Association^[10]

About the court

District of New Jersey
Third Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 17
Judges: 17
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief:Renee Bumb
Active judges: Madeline Arleo,Renee Bumb,Georgette Castner,Claire Cecchi,Michael Farbiarz,Edward Kiel,Robert Kirsch,Brian R. Martinotti,Julien Xavier Neals,Christine O'Hearn,Evelyn Padin,Zahid Quraishi,Esther Salas,Jamel Semper,Michael Shipp,Susan Wigenton,Karen Williams Senior judges: Stanley Chesler,Mary Cooper,Katharine Hayden,Noel Hillman,Robert Kugler,William Martini,Kevin McNulty,Peter Sheridan,Anne Thompson

TheUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey is one of 94United States district courts. It was established in 1789. The court operates out of three locations, Camden, Newark and Trenton,New Jersey. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, based in downtown Philadelphia at the James Byrne Courthouse.

The Counties of New Jersey (click for larger map)

The District of New Jersey hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

• The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
• The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.

• As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.

• After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.

• If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
• If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.

• The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.

• If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
• If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.

See also

• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit

External links

Suggest a link

• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
• The White House, "President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the United States District Courts," February 26, 2015

Footnotes

v • e Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Active judges	Chief Judge: Renee Bumb  •  Susan Wigenton  •  Madeline Arleo  •  Claire Cecchi  •  Esther Salas  •  Michael Shipp  •  Karen Williams (New Jersey)  •  Robert Kirsch  •  Brian R. Martinotti  •  Julien Xavier Neals  •  Zahid Quraishi  •  Christine O'Hearn  •  Evelyn Padin  •  Georgette Castner  •  Michael Farbiarz  •  Jamel Semper  •  Edward Kiel
Senior judges	Mary Cooper  •  Anne Thompson  •  Stanley Chesler  •  Katharine Hayden  •  William Martini  •  Peter Sheridan  •  Noel Hillman  •  Robert Kugler  •  Kevin McNulty  •
Magistrate judges	Tonianne Bongiovanni  •  Mark Falk  •  Ann Donio  •  Michael A. Hammer  •  Cathy L. Waldor  •  James B. Clark, III  •  Leda Dunn Wettre  •  Sharon King  •  Jessica Allen  •  Matthew Skahill  •  André Espinosa  •
Former Article III judges	Garrett Brown  •  Joel Pisano  •  Freda Wolfson  •  Harold Ackerman  •  Dennis Cavanaugh  •  Dickinson Debevoise  •  Joseph Greenaway  •  Faith Hochberg  •  Jose Linares  •  Stanley Brotman  •  Joseph Irenas  •  Joseph Rodriguez (New Jersey)  •  Jerome Simandle  •  David Brearley  •  Robert Morris (New Jersey)  •  William Sanford Pennington  •  William Rossell  •  Mahlon Dickerson  •  Philemon Dickerson  •  Richard Stockton Field  •  John Thompson Nixon  •  Andrew Kirkpatrick  •  Leonard Garth  •  Robert Cowen  •  Maryanne Trump Barry  •  Lee Sarokin  •  Edward Green (New Jersey)  •  Joseph Cross  •  William Mershon Lanning  •  John Rellstab  •  Joseph Lamb Bodine  •  John Warren Davis (Third Circuit)  •  Thomas Griffith Haight  •  Charles Francis Lynch  •  William Nelson Runyon  •  William Clark (New Jersey)  •  Guy Laverne Fake  •  James William McCarthy  •  John Boyd Avis  •  Phillip Forman  •  Anthony Augelli  •  George Barlow  •  William Bassler  •  John Bissell  •  Vincent Biunno  •  Mitchell Cohen  •  James Coolahan  •  John Gerry  •  Richard Hartshorne  •  John Kitchen  •  Frederick Lacey  •  Arthur Lane  •  Alfred Lechner  •  John Lifland  •  Thomas Madden  •  Thomas Meaney  •  Henry Meanor  •  Alfred Modarelli  •  Mendon Morrill  •  Stephen Orlofsky  •  Nicholas Politan  •  Robert Shaw (New Jersey)  •  William Francis Smith  •  Herbert Stern  •  Thomas Walker (New Jersey)  •  Lawrence Whipple  •  Alfred Wolin  •  Reynier Wortendyke  •  Clarkson Sherman Fisher  •  John Michael Vazquez  •  William Walls (New Jersey)  •
Former Chief judges	Garrett Brown  •  Anne Thompson  •  Freda Wolfson  •  Jerome Simandle  •  Guy Laverne Fake  •  Phillip Forman  •  Anthony Augelli  •  George Barlow  •  John Bissell  •  Mitchell Cohen  •  James Coolahan  •  John Gerry  •  Thomas Madden  •  William Francis Smith  •  Lawrence Whipple  •  Clarkson Sherman Fisher  •

v • e Federal judges nominated to Article III courts byJoe Biden
Commissioned in 2025	Keli Neary
Commissioned in 2024	John Kazen •John Russell •Margaret Garnett •Cristal Brisco •Jacquelyn Austin •Gretchen Hess Lund •Micah Smith •Joshua Kolar •Karoline Mehalchick •Kirk Sherriff •Lisa Wang •David Leibowitz •Jacqueline Becerra •Julie Sneed •Melissa Damian •Kelly H. Rankin •Nicole Berner •Sunil Harjani •Leon Schydlower •Ernesto Gonzalez •Susan Bazis •Robert White •Ann Marie McIff Allen •Eumi Lee •Krissa Lanham •Eric Schulte •Camela Theeler •Angela Martinez •Jasmine Yoon •Nancy Maldonado •Meredith Vacca •Georgia Alexakis •Joseph Saporito •Amy Baggio •Stacey Neumann •Mary Kay Lanthier •Adam Abelson •Laura Provinzino •Mary Kay Costello •Dena Coggins •Kevin Ritz •Shanlyn A. S. Park •Byron Conway •Jeannette Vargas •Michelle Williams Court •Jonathan E. Hawley •April Perry •Mustafa Kasubhai •Sarah Russell •Amir Ali •Rebecca Pennell •Anthony Brindisi •Elizabeth Coombe •Cynthia Valenzuela •Anne Hwang •Brian Murphy •Noël Wise •Sanket Bulsara •Tiffany Johnson •Sparkle Sooknanan •Gail Weilheimer •Embry Kidd •Melissa DuBose •Sharad Desai •Serena R. Murillo •Benjamin Cheeks •Sarah Davenport
Commissioned in 2023	Kai Scott •Tamika Montgomery-Reeves •Margaret R. Guzman •Daniel Calabretta •Matthew Garcia •DeAndrea G. Benjamin •Cindy Chung •Adrienne Nelson •Lindsay Jenkins •Gina Méndez-Miró •Araceli Martínez-Olguín •Jamar Walker •Ana Reyes •Jamal Whitehead •Gordon Gallagher •Matthew Brookman•Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons •Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler •Jonathan Grey•Colleen Lawless •Arun Subramanian •Jessica Clarke •Robert Kirsch •Michael Farbiarz •Anthony Johnstone •Orelia Merchant •Wesley Hsu •Bradley Garcia •LaShonda A. Hunt •Nancy Gbana Abudu •Amanda Brailsford •Darrel Papillion •Jeremy Daniel •Hernan D. Vera •Julie Rikelman •Nusrat Choudhury •P. Casey Pitts •Myong Joun •Kymberly Evanson •Tiffany Cartwright •Rachel Bloomekatz •Natasha Merle •Dale Ho •Philip Hadji •Rita Lin •Brendan Hurson •Vernon D. Oliver •Matthew Maddox •Julia Munley •Brandy McMillion •Susan DeClercq •Julia Kobick •Ramon Reyes, Jr. •Ana de Alba •Kenly Kiya Kato •Mónica Ramírez Almadani •Jeffrey M. Bryan •Jamel Semper •Irma Ramirez •Richard Federico •Loren AliKhan •Brandon Long •Jerry Edwards Jr.•Sara Hill •Joseph Laroski
Commissioned in 2022	David Herrera Urias •Gabriel Sanchez •Holly Thomas •Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong •David Ruiz •Charles Fleming •Bridget Brennan •Leonard Stark •Alison J. Nathan •John Chun •Julie Rubin •Jacqueline Scott Corley •Ruth Bermudez Montenegro •Victoria Calvert •Georgette Castner •Anne Traum •Cristina Silva •Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) •Sarah Geraghty •Hector Gonzalez •Fred Slaughter •Jennifer Rochon •Robert Huie •Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci •Jeffery P. Hopkins
Commissioned in 2021	Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi •Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley •Florence Pan •Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn •Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams •Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens •Michael Nachmanoff •Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston •Stephen Locher •Charlotte Sweeney •Nina Nin-Yuen Wang •Arianna Freeman •Jerry Blackwell

v • e Federal judges nominated byBarack Obama
Nominated	Federal judges nominated by Barack Obama