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Robert Kirsch (judge)

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For the literary critic and author, see Robert Kirsch.
Robert Kirsch
Kirsch on the bench at the Union County Superior Court in 2021
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 8, 2023
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byFreda L. Wolfson
Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court for Union County
In office
2010 – May 8, 2023
Personal details
Born
Robert Andrew Kirsch

1966 (age 58–59)
Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (before 2021)
Independent (2021–present)
EducationEmory University (BA)
Fordham University (JD)

Robert Andrew Kirsch[1] (born 1966)[1] is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He was an appellate court judge on the New Jersey Superior Court from 2010 to 2023.

Education

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Born in Livingston, New Jersey,[1] Kirsch grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, and attended Columbia High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University where he graduated magna cum laude in 1988.[1] He received his Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law in 1991.[2][3]

Career

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From 1991 to 1993, Kirsch served as a law clerk for Judge William J. Zloch of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. In 1993, he joined the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C through Attorney General Honor's Program.[1] He served as a trial attorney for the Department of Justice until 1997.

From 1997 to 2010, Kirsch served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. During his time there, Kirsch focused on prosecuting white collar crime[4] and earned numerous awards, including the US Customs Service award for Outstanding Service and a nomination for the Attorney General's Director's Award for Superb Performance.[1]

Between 2010 to 2023, Kirsch served as an appellate judge on the New Jersey Superior Court for Union County.[2] In this role, he served as a judge for the Family Division, Civil Division, and Criminal Division.[1]

Since joining the bench, Judge Kirsch has frequently participated in panels, lectured, and given presentations to local bar associations and law schools including Columbia University School of Law, Seton Hall Law School, and New York University School of Law.[1]

Notable Cases

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United States v. Puff

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While serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, Kirsch served as a prosecutor in United States v. Puff.[1] In this capacity, he investigated and prosecuted individuals for their roles in a Ponzi and mortgage fraud scheme, which defrauded more than 400 investors and financial institutions of more than $100 million.[1]

United States v. Urciuoli

In 2007 and 2008, Kirsch also investigated and prosecuted a number of officers in a prominent information technologies firm for defrauding investors by falsely inflating stated revenue and profits and defrauding investors of more than $5 million.[1] The criminal defendant was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.[1]

Federal Judicial Service

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Kirsch was recommended for the court seat by Senator Robert Menendez.[5] On December 21, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Kirsch to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. On January 3, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Kirsch to the seat vacated by Judge Freda L. Wolfson, who retired on February 1, 2023.[6] On January 25, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] On April 20, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–8 vote.[8] On May 2, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 57–42 vote.[9] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 57–42 vote.[10] He received his judicial commission on May 8, 2023.[11]

In 2023, a report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse named Kirsch as one of the most productive judges on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, citing the fact that he had closed more than 99% of cases assigned to him during his first year on the bench.[12]

Personal life

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Kirsch was a Republican[5] until 2021, when he changed his registration to unaffiliated after the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "President Biden Names Twenty-Eighth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Sherman, Ted (April 18, 2010). "Ex-federal prosecutor is sworn in as Union County Superior Court judge". nj. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  4. ^ "Judge Robert Kirsch – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey". 19 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b Wildstein, David (December 21, 2022). "Biden picks top Port Authority lawyer, Superior Court judge, as federal judges in N.J." New Jersey Globe. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 3, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. January 24, 2023.
  8. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – April 20, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  9. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Robert Kirsch to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey)". United States Senate. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Robert Kirsch, of New Jersey, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey)". United States Senate. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Robert Kirsch at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  12. ^ atomtabloid (2024-03-28). "Some federal district court judges in New Jersey are more prolific than others". NJTODAY.NET. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  13. ^ Wildstein, David (May 2, 2023). "Updated: Senate confirms Farbiarz, Kirsch as federal judges". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
2023–present 		Incumbent
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