Robert Kirsch (judge)

Robert Andrew Kirsch (born 1966) is a judge from New Jersey who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Born in Livingston, New Jersey, he earned an undergraduate degree from Emory University and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. Kirsch's career includes roles as a law clerk, trial attorney, and assistant United States attorney, where he focused on prosecuting white collar crime. Before his federal judicial appointment, he served as a judge on the New Jersey Superior Court for Union County. He was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023.

Education
Born in Livingston, New Jersey, Kirsch grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, and attended Columbia High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in 1988 and a Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law in 1991.

Career
From 1991 to 1993, he served as a law clerk for Judge William J. Zloch of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. From 1993 to 1997, he was a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. From 1997 to 2010, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. During his time there, Kirsch focused on prosecuting white collar crime. From 2010 to 2023, he has served as a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court for Union County.

Federal judicial service
Kirsch was recommended for the court seat by Senator Robert Menendez. On December 21, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Kirsch to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. On January 3, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Kirsch to the seat vacated by Judge Freda L. Wolfson, who retired on February 1, 2023. On January 25, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On April 20, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–8 vote. On May 2, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 57–42 vote. Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 57–42 vote. He received his judicial commission on May 8, 2023.

Personal life
Kirsch was a Republican until 2021, when he changed his registration to unaffiliated after the January 6 United States Capitol attack.