Semper confirmed by Senate, becoming Biden’s ninth successful appointee to N.J. federal bench

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamel Semper was confirmed by the U.S. Senate today to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, making him President Joe Biden’s ninth successful judicial nominee from New Jersey.

The Senate vote was 54 in favor and 44 against, with four Republicans – Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), and John Neely Kennedy (R-Louisiana) – joining every present Democrat in supporting the nomination. Unsurprisingly, both of New Jersey’s senators, Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, voted for Semper.

Menendez was the original driving force behind Semper’s nomination, and he spoke on the Senate floor prior to today’s vote to urge his fellow senators to support him.

“For more than 15 years, Mr. Semper has tirelessly sought justice for the residents who call New Jersey home,” Menendez said. “Indeed, it is the central theme that runs throughout Mr. Semper’s career: an unwavering commitment to the rule of law and to the communities the law is meant to protect.”

The 41-year-old Semper, a Rutgers Law School graduate, currently serves as the deputy chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey, and previously worked as a prosecutor in Essex and Union Counties. He was nominated by Biden to the federal judgeship in September, and was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in October.

Semper will take the place of Judge John Michael Vazquez, an appointee of former President Barack Obama who stepped down in September at the age of 53.

“I’m thrilled that the Senate has confirmed Jamel Semper, an outstanding public servant who has served New Jersey for over 15 years, to the federal bench,” Booker said in a statement after Semper was confirmed. “I have gotten to know Mr. Semper during the nomination process and have reviewed his record closely, and I’m confident in his ability to preside over cases with fairness and integrity.”

Once Semper is seated, a majority of judges on New Jersey’s 17-member District Court will have been nominated by Biden. That’s in large part thanks to Booker and Menendez, who prevented former President Donald Trump from installing any of his own nominees on the court, creating a backlog of vacancies that Biden filled when he took office.

Biden will likely soon have a tenth nominee confirmed to the court as well: U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Edward Kiel, who appeared before the Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Biden also recently put forward Adeel Mangi, a top North Jersey lawyer, as his nominee for an open seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.