The U.S. Senate confirms Judge Karen M. Williams to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. She makes history as the first African-American judge to serve in the Mitchell H. Cohen United States Courthouse in Camden.
Williams has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court in the District of New Jersey since 2009. Judge Williams also currently serves as an adjunct professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Prior to her appointment, Judge Williams spent 17 years in private practice at Jasinski & Williams, P.C. in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Judge Williams’s work focused on employment law, including litigation in state and federal courts and before administrative bodies. Judge Williams received her J.D. from the Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law in 1992 and her B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University in 1985.
Earlier this year, the Senate confirmed Julien Xavier Neals and Zahid Quraishi to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Booker delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of Neals and Quraishi. And just last week, the Senate also confirmed Christine P. O’Hearn to that court. Williams is now the fourth judge confirmed for the District of New Jersey this year.
“Judge Williams has had a long and distinguished legal career defending the rights of workers and has a deep understanding of the issues facing the people of New Jersey,” said Senator Cory Booker. “Judge Williams is eminently qualified to serve on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and I know that she will bring fairness, impartiality, and a commitment to applying justice equally to the federal bench. This is a historic confirmation—she is the first African-American federal judge confirmed by the Senate to sit in the federal courthouse in Camden, New Jersey. I am proud of her confirmation today.”
The confirmation of Karen Williams is a historic moment for our state and for our nation,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “Judge Williams has led a distinguished career and is well-respected throughout South Jersey and beyond. I know that she will serve the people of New Jersey with integrity, honor, and fairness, and I look forward to her many future years on the District Court bench.”This confirmation is yet another reflection of the Biden Administration’s commitments to a diverse judiciary that represents Americans of all backgrounds. I would also like to congratulate Senator Booker and Senator Menendez for this successful confirmation, one which they both worked to achieve.”