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Lubna Qazi Chowdhry is NJ’s first female Muslim judge
The Indian-American attorney has been sworn in as an administrative law judge.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 17, Feb 2026
- 12:45 EST
- 31
Lubna Qazi-Chowdhry / Courtesy: Western State University College of Law
Indian-American attorney Lubna Qazi-Chowdhry has been sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge in the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law, becoming the first Muslim woman to serve in the role.
Nominated by Governor Philip D. Murphy in Jan. 2026, she was confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate and took the oath of office on Jan. 22. The oath was administered by Rachel Wainer Apter, Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
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Qazi-Chowdhry has begun serving in Newark, where she will oversee administrative disputes, appeals of government agency decisions, and public complaints.
She brings nearly 20 years of experience in public legal service in New Jersey, including civil rights enforcement roles at the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights Affirmative Enforcement Unit.
Born in Kuwait, she traces her roots to the Raigad district in Maharashtra’s Konkan region of India. She spent her early childhood in Kuwait before moving permanently to the United States in 1990. In 2005, she relocated to New Jersey.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in criminology, law, and society from the University of California, Irvine, and obtained her Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law.
The Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ) also welcomed her appointment. Community members have described her appointment as a significant milestone for Muslim and minority representation in the American judicial system.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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