United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey
The Honorable Stacey L. Meisel became a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey on September 24, 2015; the first African-American and person of color appointed in New Jersey. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Meisel was a founding member of Becker Meisel LLC, now known as Becker LLC. While at the firm, she was co-chair of the bankruptcy, insolvency and creditors’ rights practice group.
In 1997, Judge Meisel became a member on the New Jersey Panel of Bankruptcy Trustees appointed by the United States Department of Justice, and the first African-American woman to serve in this position in New Jersey. She remained in this role until her appointment to the bench.
Judge Meisel was very active with the Bankruptcy and Federal bars. Prior to her appointment, she served on the Merit Selection Committees in 2006, 2013 and 2014, which were responsible for recommending candidates to the Third Circuit for the New Jersey bankruptcy judgeship vacancies. She served on the New Jersey Court Registry of Mediators. Judge Meisel also served on the Lawyers Advisory Committee to the Board of Judges of the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey from 2011 until her appointment. She was a Trustee for the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. Judge Meisel also served on the American Bankruptcy Institute Advisory Board for the Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop and was co-chair of the 2011 Workshop Attendance Committee.
A strong believer in social responsibility: Judge Meisel volunteered for the Essex County Volunteer Lawyers for Justice from 2002 until her appointment; she helped launch the New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation in 2004; she served on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey from 2004 until 2010; she served on the Board of Directors for Legal Momentum—The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund from 2014 until her appointment; and served first as a member and then as Treasurer for the Board of Trustees for the Newark Boys Chorus School from 2013 until her appointment.
Judge Meisel continues to serve by participating on various panels on a variety of issues. She is a co-author of the Consumer Bankruptcy Manual and the Consumer Bankruptcy Handbook, Thomson Reuters publications. She recently completed a three-year term on the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Rules Committee, and now serves as a Governor-at-Large. Judge Meisel also currently serves on the National Association of Women Judges’ Color of Justice Program Committee, the United States District Court, District of New Jersey Committee on Court Security and the Newark Vicinage Facilities Security Committee. She is a Judicial Advisor to the Historical Society of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. Judge Meisel is currently a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s (“ABI’s”) Working Diversity Group and for the past three years, she has also served as the Judicial Co-Chair for the ABI’s Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop.