William Griffith (New Jersey attorney)

William Griffith (1766 – June 7, 1826) was a United States federal judge.

Biography

Born in Bound Brook, New Jersey, Griffith read law to enter the bar in 1788. He was in private practice in Burlington, New Jersey from 1789 to 1801, and was also a Surrogate, Burlington County, New Jersey from 1790 to 1799, and a member of the Common Council of the City of Burlington from 1793 to 1797.

On February 18, 1801, Griffith was nominated by President John Adams to a new seat on the United States circuit court for the Third Circuit, created by 2 Stat. 89. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day, but his service was terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court.

He returned to private practice in Burlington, New Jersey from 1802 to 1826, serving as a New Jersey state assemblyman from 1818 to 1819 and from 1823 to 1824. He was a Mayor of Burlington, New Jersey from 1824 to 1826. In 1826, Griffith was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States, but he died, in Burlington, before he could assume his duties.

Sources

• William Griffith at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.