Joel Pisano, 71, who served in the U.S. Third District Court in Newark as a magistrate and judge for 24 years, has died.
An announcement Saturday on the website of the law firm, Walsh, in which he worked shared condolences, but did not state when he died.
“Joel was a wise counselor and dear friend to all who came to know him during his time in private practice, his many years of public service on the federal bench, and as a mediator and arbitrator,” the announcement on the website of Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga said. “Joel is survived by his wife Elizabeth, the love of his life, by his federal court family, and by the many young lawyers he mentored throughout his career.”
There was no announcement of when funeral services will be held.
Pisano retired as a judge in 2015. He spoke to NJ Advance Media then.
“I’ve sentenced 800 people,” Pisano said. “And it wears on you. You take it seriously and you’ve got somebody’s life virtually under your control and it becomes very wearing after a long time. I’ll be honest with you it played a role in my decision to retire.”
Pisano attended Belleville High School and graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. in 1971 before heading off to Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark. He served in the state’s public defender office in Newark in the early 1970s.
“Anybody who wants to be a courtroom lawyer could not have a better starting place than as a public defender in Essex County,” Pisano said in 2015.
After leaving the defender office, he moved on to a private practice in civil and criminal law. In 1991 he was appointed as a federal magistrate judge. In 2000, President Bill Clinton appointed him as a judge to the federal district court.
His law firm offered a final farewell.
“Walsh mourns the passing of Hon. Joel A. Pisano, U.S.D.J., our friend and colleague.”
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Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com.