Dennis Cavanaugh – December 11, 2010

 Your Selection Committee has selected The Honorable Dennis M. Cavanaugh, United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey as this year's Honoree. Judge Cavanaugh's Irish Roots can be traced to both his father and mother. His father was born in Newark. His  paternal  grandfather  was born in Galway and his grandmother was born  in Cork. Dennis'  mother  was born in Dublin and was raised in Ennis, County  Claire until she emigrated  to the United States in 1928.

Judge Cavanaugh received his law degree in 1972 from Seton Hall University School of Law. He then served as law clerk for The  Honorable Francis W. Hayden, Judge of the Essex County Superior Court. After his clerkship, Judge Cavanaugh was an Assistant Deputy Public  Defender  in  Essex County. In 1977, he entered private practice with the law firm of Lum, Biunno and Tompkins, where he became  a  partner  in  1981.  Judge Cavanaugh specialized in trial practice and was among the first  group  of lawyers to become certified as a Civil Trial Attorney in 1982 by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Judge Cavanaugh continued in private practice until January of 1993 when he was appointed as Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for The District of New Jersey. In September of 2000, President Clinton appointed him to his present position as a United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey.

During his years in private practice, Judge Cavanaugh was an active member in the American, New Jersey  and  Essex  County  Bar  Associations. He was a founder and Master of the Seton Hall University School  of  Law Alumni Inn of Court. He served as an officer in the  United  States  Army  Reserve and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain in 1980.

Judge Cavanaugh is married to Linda Lordi Cavanaugh and reside in West Orange. He has  four  children: Christopher,  Leigh,  Joseph  and  Sean and he has two grandchildren.