Julio M. Fuentes


Julio M. Fuentes is a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Fuentes is the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Third Circuit.

Early life and education

Born on February 16, 1946, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Fuentes moved with his family from Puerto Rico to New York in 1950, according to a May 16, 2000 article in the Newark Star-Ledger. Fuentes' family settled in the South Bronx area of The Bronx, New York and moved to New Jersey in 1955. Fuentes grew up in Toms River, New Jersey and graduated from Toms River High School in 1964, where he played football and wrestled.
Fuentes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971 from Southern Illinois University. His time at SIU was interrupted by a stint in the United States Army, from 1966 through 1969. After completing the United States Army's Airborne, Ranger and Officer Candidate School, Fuentes served with the 8th Special Forces Group in Fort Gulick, Panama. He was honorably discharged with the rank of First Lieutenant. Fuentes also earned a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from New York University in 1972. He then earned a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1975, and another Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Rutgers University in 1993. In 2006, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Legal career

Fuentes worked as lawyer in private practice from 1975 until 1981, and worked as a judge in the Newark Municipal Court from 1979 until 1987. He then served as a judge in New Jersey Superior Court in Essex County from 1987 until being confirmed to the Third Circuit in 2000.

Federal judicial service

Fuentes' name originally had been put forth for a District Court opening by then-Senator Robert Torricelli of New Jersey. President Bill Clinton's staff interviewed Fuentes and instead opted to bring forth Fuentes' name as a nominee at the court of appeals level. Clinton nominated Fuentes to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit seat on March 8, 1999. The United States Senate Judiciary Committee approved Fuentes' nomination on March 2, 2000, and the full United States Senate confirmed Fuentes by a 93-0 vote on March 7, 2000. Fuentes received his commission on March 9, 2000 and was sworn in on May 15, 2000. "I intend to honor this trust every day," Fuentes told a standing ovation as he was sworn in, according to a May 16, 2000 article in the Newark Star-Ledger. He took senior status on July 18, 2016.

Personal life

Fuentes has been a resident of North Caldwell, New Jersey.