Judge Zahid Quraishi
New Jersey U.S. District Court
Zahid Quraishi was born in July 1975 in New York City to immigrants from Pakistan. He earned an undergraduate degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and received his Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law. He clerked for a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court.
He became a litigation associate at an international law firm prior to joining the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. He served in Germany and Iraq during his four years of service.
Quraishi served as assistant chief counsel in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York, then as an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey. He was appointed as a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in 2019.
He was nominated by President Biden to serve as a federal district judge on the same court. He was confirmed by the Senate in June 2021 and received his commission later that month.
Quraishi is the first Muslim to be confirmed as a federal judge.
In the News…
Judge Zahid Quraishi of the District of New Jersey ruled that President Biden’s administration does have the authority to negotiate prescription prices through Medicare coverage. He dismissed lawsuits brought against the government by Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb, who claimed the Medicare negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act violated the companies’ constitutional rights.
In response to claims of the program violating the First Amendment, Judge Quraishi wrote, “First, contrary to Plaintiffs’ interpretation, the Program regulates conduct, not speech. Any effect on Plaintiffs’ speech in this case is merely incidental.”
He added, “Notably, nothing in the statute prevents Plaintiffs from publicly criticizing the Program or the final drug prices.”
The judge also ruled that the negotiation program was not a “physical taking” under the Fifth Amendment,
Citing the voluntary nature of participation, Judge Quraishi stated that the plaintiffs failed to “show how they are being legally compelled to participate in the Program.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Quraishi today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Zahid Quraishi
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Clarkson S. Fisher Building & U.S. Courthouse
402 East State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
