Kevin McNulty (judge)

Early life and education

Born October 28, 1954, McNulty earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from Yale University and a Juris Doctor in 1983 from New York University School of Law. After law school, McNulty served as a law clerk for Judge Frederick Bernard Lacey of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Professional career

For three years at the start of his law career, McNulty served as an associate at a law firm. He then joined the United States Attorney's office in New Jersey, where he served as an assistant United States Attorney for over a decade. While in the U.S. Attorney's office, McNulty served as deputy chief of the criminal division from 1992 until 1995, and chief of the appeals division from 1995 until 1998. In 1998, McNulty returned to private legal practice, serving as a partner in the Newark, New Jersey law firm Gibbons P.C..

Federal judicial service

On December 16, 2011, President Obama nominated McNulty to a federal judgeship on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to fill the seat vacated by Judge Garrett Brown, Jr., who took senior status on January 2, 2012. He received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 14, 2012 and his nomination was reported to the floor on April 19, 2012, by voice vote, with Senator Lee recorded as voting no. McNulty is the brother in-law of New York senator Chuck Schumer. Senator Frank Lautenberg submitted McNulty's name for consideration late in the process, and some anonymous commentators have suggested that it is a political move to ensure Lautenberg has future support of Schumer. On July 16, 2012, the Senate confirmed McNulty's nomination by a vote of 91–3. He received his commission on July 18, 2012.