Georgette Castner, a highly regarded litigator and previous lover at Montgomery McCracken, was sworn in Thursday as the youngest female federal judge in the 232-12 months history of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Castner, 42, whose appointment was verified by the U.S. Senate previous week, was sworn in by Chief Judge Freda Wolfson through a private ceremony at the federal courthouse in Trenton. It is a lifetime appointment.

Castner is filling the seat that has been vacant considering the fact that Judge Jose Linares retired in 2019.

The former main of personnel to then-Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (now Trenton mayor), Castner’s nomination enjoyed potent assist from women and enterprise and community desire advocacy teams, as perfectly as a wide cross-area of elected officers, including U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both of those D-N.J.), Gov. Phil Murphy and his chief of staff, George Helmy.

“During her 15 years of expertise in condition and federal litigation, Ms. Castner has gained a track record as one particular of the brightest and most hardworking attorneys in our point out,” Menendez stated final week.

Booker agreed.

“She is terribly effectively-qualified to provide our point out and our nation as a federal decide,” he mentioned. “She delivers to the federal bench her considerable authorized know-how and a apparent motivation to the men and women of the terrific State of New Jersey.”

A 2002 graduate of The College or university of New Jersey, Castner gained her law degree from Rutgers Regulation School in Camden in 2006.

Soon after serving as a regulation clerk for Excellent Court docket Judge Joseph Lisa for a calendar year, she joined Montgomery McCracken in 2007, doing work in its Cherry Hill office environment. There, she labored on advanced business litigation and white-collar and federal government investigations, soaring to husband or wife in 2015.

She co-chaired the firm’s Hashish Law follow team and became a member of its Diversity Committee. She also grew to become shut good friends with colleague Fabiana Pierre-Louis, who turned the to start with African American girl to provide on the New Jersey Supreme Court when she was confirmed by the condition Senate in 2020.

Castner is just the 92nd federal district court choose in state historical past, a process that commenced in the drop of 1789, when President George Washington appointed David Brearley, who fought in the Struggle of Monmouth and signed the U.S. Structure.

She is the fifth federal decide appointee in New Jersey by President Joe Biden to complete the process. The sixth, Evelyn Padin, is awaiting a vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Murphy stated Castner is a fantastic fit for the job.

“Through her extensive litigation expertise, Georgette has attained vast regard during New Jersey’s lawful local community, and I know that she will honorably provide the persons of New Jersey in her new purpose,” he explained very last 7 days.

Castner is married to Invoice Castner, a remarkably regarded lawyer who has served in all three branches of state federal government — including as a top aide to Murphy — and now is in non-public follow with Connell Foley in the firm’s Cherry Hill office.