On Aug. 17, 1790, Judge David Brearley, the first judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, died after less than a year in office. Brearley, much respected as a veteran of the Continental Army as well as the chief justice of New Jersey during most of the war for independence, had succumbed to a lingering illness, and was the first federal judge to die on the bench.
After a lavish public funeral – an affair attended by hundreds – the state political establishment moved quickly to replace him. The key figure in the effort was Sen. William Paterson, one of the central architects of the U.S. Constitution and of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which had created the federal court system. His recommendation to President George Washington would be decisive.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
