US President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Pakistani-origin Magistrate Judge, Zahid Nisar Quraishi, as a Federal District Judge for District Court of New Jersey.
If the US Senate confirms Biden’s nomination, Zahid Quraishi will become the first Muslim-American to serve as a Federal District Judge.
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About Zahid Quraishi
Quraishi was born in New York City, New York, and raised in Fanwood, New Jersey, by his Pakistani parents, Dr. Nisar Quraishi and Shahida Quraishi.
He graduated in 1993 from Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1997. He received his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School in 2000.
In June 2003, Quraishi joined the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, attaining the rank of Captain, before being honorably discharged in 2007.
During this time, Quraishi was stationed in Germany and deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom both in 2004 and 2006.
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The US Army conferred Quraishi with a Bronze Star Medal, an Army Combat Action Badge, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medal in recognition of his services.
In 2008, Quraishi was appointed as an Assistant Chief Counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel at the US Department of Homeland Security in New York City, New York. A year later, he was appointed as an Assistant US Attorney for the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and served in the position till 2013.
In 2013, Quraishi joined Morristown’s Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, LLP as an attorney. He became a partner at the firm in 2016. He was named chief diversity officer and chairman of the firm’s white-collar criminal defense and investigations group in 2019.
Since 2019, Quraishi has been serving as a Magistrate Judge of the District Court of New Jersey. He is also the first Asian-American to sit on the Federal Bench in New Jersey.
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Quraishi was recognized as a 2014 New Leader of the Bar by the New Jersey Law Journal. He was the recipient of the 2017 Alumni Award by Rutgers Law School’s Asian-Pacific American Law Student Association. He was also recognized in his practice area by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA.
He was the recipient of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey Professional Achievement Award. He was also conferred with the 2019 South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey Standing Ovation Award and the 2019 New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association Trailblazer of the Year Award.
