March 30, 2021
For immediate release
The NJMLA congratulates Judge Zahid N. Quraishi on his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey!
If confirmed, Judge Quraishi will be the first American Muslim appointed to serve as an Article III judge in the United States. Please join us in celebrating this momentous and historic achievement!
“This is a historic achievement for the New Jersey Muslim lawyer’s community and we applaud the President and the New Jersey Senators for adding diversity to the Federal Bench. We look forward to continuing to work together with the administration to have more of our qualified members appointed to federal positions.” Dalya Youssef, Esq.-President of NJMLA
In 2019, Judge Quraishi was the recipient of the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association’s (NJMLA)Trailblazer of the year award, and true to fashion, he continues to break new ground!
Judge Quraishi has been a long time supporter of the NJMLA . He has tirelessly volunteered his time to participate in panels and educate his fellow practitioners. His body of work is a testament to his dedication to the law and his community. Is it never easy to chart unnavigated waters, but Judge Quraishi makes it looks effortless as he continues to break down barriers year after year. While Judge Quraishi may be the first Muslim Federal judge, we certainly hope that through ongoing efforts and hard work, he will not be the last. Judge Quraishi brings unparalleled experience, education and dedication to every position and it is through the path that he has blazed that others will follow. The NJMLA whole-heartedly supports his appointment to the Federal bench.
Judge Zahid N. Quraishi was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey in the Trenton Vicinage on June 3, 2019. Judge Quraishi, who is of Pakistani ancestry, is the first Muslim and the first Asian-American to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey.
Judge Quraishi has strong New Jersey ties, and is active in his community. This past year, Judge Quraishi also joined the faculty at Rutgers Law School as an adjunct professor, teaching Trial Presentation to second and third year law students.
Prior to his appointment, he was Chair of Riker Danzig’s White Collar Criminal Defense and Investigations Group and his firm's first Chief Diversity Officer. His practice focused on white collar criminal defense, internal corporate investigations, and complex civil litigation.
In private practice, Judge Quraishi had extensive experience representing clients with government enforcement and compliance issues involving potential criminal charges. He regularly managed complex federal and state court litigation on behalf of corporations, and their officers, directors, and employees. Judge Quraishi has represented both companies and individuals in connection with criminal investigations involving violations of securities law, healthcare fraud, money laundering, computer crimes, environmental statutes, public corruption, and tax laws among other white collar areas of law. His practice also extended to representing both corporations and individuals in complex federal and state civil litigation.
As Chief Diversity Officer, Judge Quraishi provided leadership in advancing the firm’s diversity and inclusion values, and assumed overall responsibility for overseeing its diversity and inclusion goals.
Before joining Riker, Judge Quraishi served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for over five years. He tried numerous federal criminal cases involving public corruption, financial fraud, perjury, firearms and narcotics offenses within the Special Prosecutions Division and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Government Fraud Units of the Criminal Division.
Judge Quraishi’s government service and prosecutorial experience extends well beyond his years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He previously represented the United States as an Assistant Chief Counsel and trial attorney with the Department of Homeland Security. He also served as a military prosecutor and achieved the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Earlier in his career, Judge Quraishi worked as a litigation associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, LLP and clerked for the Honorable Edwin H. Stern, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey - Appellate Division (retired).
Judge Quraishi previously served as a trustee of several prominent organizations to include the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, and the United States Attorney’s Office Alumni Association (DNJ).
He has been recognized in his legal field by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as one of the country’s leading white collar lawyers, Best Lawyers in America®, a peer review of U.S. lawyers, and “Super Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters. Most recently in 2019, Zahid received APALA-NJ’s Professional Achievement Award, SABA-NJ’s Standing Ovation Award, and NJMLA’s Trailblazer of the Year Award. Additionally, Zahid previously received Rutgers APALSA’s alumni award for leadership and service in the profession in 2017. In 2014, shortly after entering private practice at Riker Danzig, he was named a “New Leader of the Bar” by New Jersey Law Journal.
Judge Quraishi received his law degree from Rutgers Law School - Newark where he was the Managing Business Editor of the Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal and a member of the Rutgers Moot Court Board.
Not only is he a skilled litigator who will bring expertise to the bench, he will also bring much needed diversity of background and perspective to the federal judiciary. We are proud to support his nomination to serve on the federal judiciary.
ABOUT THE NJMLA
We are a volunteer association of lawyers, judges, and law students who work or reside in the New Jersey area. NJMLA was established in 2006 to advance the goals, needs, and interests of Muslim attorneys in the state through networking, mentorship and education. NJMLA also promotes Muslim participation in public service and addresses issues affecting our local and national community.