--- title: "Jose L. Linares | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jose-l-linares-1935" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Jose L. Linares U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey - State: New Jersey - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, D. New Jersey, 2002-present - Practiced law in New Jersey from 1980 to 2000, later becoming a judge on the Essex County Superior Court (2000–2002) - From 1978 to 1980, Linares held the role of a supervising attorney for the New York City Department of Investigation - Retired U.S. federal judge and former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey - He was the first Hispanic and first Cuban-born Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ### Education - New Jersey City University ### Additional information - Chief Judge: May 31, 2017 – May 16, 2019 - Joined the court in 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush (R). - On August 1, 2002, President George W. Bush nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, a seat vacated by Alfred J. Lechner Jr. - Confirmed by the Senate on November 14, 2002 and commissioned on December 3, 2002 - Private practice, New Jersey, 1980-2000 - He attended Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, NJ, obtained a B.A. in 1975 from Jersey City State College (now Jersey City University), and a J.D. in 1978 from Temple University Beasley School of Law - Born November 30, 1953, in Havana, Cuba. - Date of birth: 1953-01-01 - Linares and his family emigrated from Cuba to Spain, then settled in New Jersey, first in Verona and later in Newark. - Linares has received multiple awards, including the New Jersey State Bar Distinguished Judicial Service Award, the James J. McLaughlin Professionalism Award, and the Gerald B. O’Connor Award - Birth place: Havana, Cuba ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### media access and electronic devices Scope: statewide New Jersey statewide Supreme Court guidelines govern media access and electronic devices in courtrooms; recording, photography, broadcasting, and transmission require compliance with the published approval process and courtroom restrictions. Evidence excerpt: Transmission, broadcasting, recording and/or photographing is prohibited at any proceeding closed by court order, statute, or Rule of Court. [New Jersey Courts](https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/notices/2024/07/n240723a.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1935/jose-l-linares/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1935/jose-l-linares/) - [U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1935/jose-l-linares/) - [New Jersey Courts](https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/notices/2024/07/n240723a.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1935/jose-l-linares/) - [Jose L. Linares - District of New Jersey - United States Courts](https://www.njd.uscourts.gov/content/jose-l-linares) - [Jose Linares](https://ballotpedia.org/Jose_Linares) - [Wikidata: Jose L. Linares](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6279411) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jose-l-linares-1935", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jose-l-linares-1935", "name": "Jose L. Linares | KnowJudges", "description": "Jose L. Linares, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-08", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jose-l-linares-1935#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jose-l-linares-1935#judge", "name": "Jose L. 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Linares", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jose-l-linares-1935" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.