Judge Jamel K. Semper was appointed to the District of New Jersey by President Joseph R. Biden in 2023.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Judge Semper earned his undergraduate degree from Hampton University and his law degree from Rutgers School of Law–Newark. He began his legal career as a law clerk to a New Jersey Superior Court judge before spending a decade as a county prosecutor in Union and Essex Counties, including directing the Special Prosecutions Unit in Essex County. He then joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, where he served as deputy chief of the Criminal Division and oversaw violent crimes and organized crime initiatives.
Education
- Rutgers School of Law–Newark, J.D., 2007
- Hampton University, B.A., 2003
Career
- Law clerk, Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County, 2007–2008
- Assistant Prosecutor, Union County Prosecutor's Office, 2008–2013
- Assistant Prosecutor (including Director, Special Prosecutions Unit), Essex County Prosecutor's Office, 2009–2018
- Assistant U.S. Attorney (Deputy Chief, Criminal Division), District of New Jersey, 2018–2023
- U.S. District Judge, District of New Jersey, 2023–present