by: Mohiyuddin Altamash
Lubna Qazi, a lawyer originally from Maharashtra’s Raigad district, has been appointed an administrative law judge (ALJ) in the U.S. state of New Jersey, becoming the first Muslim woman to hold the position, officials and family members said.
Qazi took the oath of office at a recent ceremony administered by Associate Justice Rachel Wainer Apter of the New Jersey Supreme Court. She placed her hand on the Quran while pledging to uphold constitutional responsibilities and discharge her duties faithfully.
Administrative law judges play a key role in the U.S. judicial system, presiding over cases involving government agencies, regulatory enforcement, public benefits, employment disputes and administrative appeals. Their rulings are legally binding and subject to judicial review.
Qazi’s appointment has been welcomed by legal professionals and community organisations as a milestone for Muslim and minority representation in the American judiciary, particularly at a time when diversity in public institutions has become a subject of political debate in the United States.
Born in Kuwait, Qazi spent her early childhood there before travelling to the United States during a school vacation in 1990. Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the outbreak of the Gulf War, her family decided to settle permanently in the United States.
She later pursued higher education in California, graduating from the University of California and earning a law degree from Western State University College of Law. After marrying Ahsan Chaudhry in 2005, Qazi moved to New Jersey, where she went on to serve in various government legal positions over nearly two decades.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy nominated Qazi for the post of administrative law judge in 2025, citing her professional experience and service within the state’s legal system, according to people familiar with the appointment process.
Qazi is fluent in English, Urdu, Hindi and Konkani, and has working knowledge of Arabic, skills that colleagues say have helped her engage with New Jersey’s diverse communities. She has also sought to preserve her linguistic and cultural heritage within her family.
Her father, Inayatullah Qazi, said the appointment marked the culmination of years of effort and sacrifice. The family traces its roots to the Tala taluka of Raigad district in Maharashtra’s Konkan region.
Inayatullah Qazi studied at Jamia Millia Islamia School in Delhi and Anjuman Islam in Mumbai before earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Aurangabad, in 1975. He later moved to Kuwait for employment, working there for 15 years before migrating to the United States following the Gulf War, at a time when his children were already in the country.
He said the family places strong emphasis on education and cultural continuity, noting that Urdu is spoken at home and that his daughter completed the recitation of the Quran at an early age.
According to family accounts, earlier generations served as qazis – judicial authorities – in the Konkan region, administering justice without discrimination based on religion or caste. Although that tradition had lapsed over time, Inayatullah Qazi said his daughter’s appointment represented a revival of the family’s judicial legacy in a modern legal system.
Qazi is also the granddaughter of Dr Rehana Ahmed, a noted educationist and executive chairperson of the Girls’ Board of Anjuman Islam in Mumbai. Ahmed said her granddaughter’s appointment would inspire young women, particularly from minority communities, to pursue higher education and careers in law and public service.
Several social and legal organisations, including the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, congratulated Qazi on her appointment, describing it as a step forward in strengthening representation within the U.S. judiciary.
Observers said the appointment reflects broader demographic changes in the United States, where immigrants and children of immigrants are increasingly entering public institutions, including the courts.
For many in India’s Konkan region, Qazi’s elevation has been viewed as a moment of pride, underscoring the global reach of Indian-origin professionals and the role of education and migration in shaping transnational success stories.