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The Rutgers Alumni Association has announced that Michael Noriega, a Rutgers University alumnus and immigration and criminal defense lawyer, will be nominated to the New Jersey Supreme Court, Gov. Phil Murphy .

The nomination to fill the seat of Associate Justice Barry Albin, a 1973 Rutgers College alumnus who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in July 2022, will first be sent to the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee for approval. The governor will then proceed with a formal nomination, subject to advice and consent in the state senate.

Noriega graduated from Rutgers College with a bachelor of science degree in American Studies in 1999. After graduating from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2002, he served as a law clerk for Superior Court Judge Camille M. Kenny in the civil division in Hudson County.

“I know that the individuals who are selected to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court will shape our state for decades to come,” Gov. Murphy said. “As a former public defender and one of New Jersey’s most highly respected criminal defense and immigration law attorneys, Michael Noriega will bring extensive trial experience and a history of practice across our legal system to the judiciary. In addition to his qualifications, Michael’s character, integrity, and commitment to serving the cause of justice make him ideally suited to serve on our state’s highest court.”

As an attorney, Noriega has fought for the rights of both documented and undocumented residents living in New Jersey, helping them navigate complex immigration laws. He has served as a public defender and has led his own law firm. He currently serves as a partner at the law firm Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold, & Mangan, LLC, where he has worked since 2014.

The Rutgers community “is thrilled by the nomination,” Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said.

“Gov. Murphy’s nomination of Michael Noriega as associate justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court speaks to his commitment to maintaining the highest intellectual standards on the court and for assuring that the court is as diverse as the people who come before it,” Holloway said. “The nomination of yet another Rutgers alumnus to the court, who will join , underscores the governor’s respect for our university and the education that Rutgers provides.”

Born in Weehawken to Peruvian immigrants and raised in Union City, Noriega lives in Fanwood with his wife, Melissa, and their four daughters. He currently serves as the board president for the Sanar Wellness Institute, a nonprofit organization in Newark that provides care and support to individuals who have suffered traumatic events of interpersonal violence.