Richard J. Holwell

Who is Richard J. Holwell?

Richard James Holwell is a former United States federal judge for the Southern District of New York. Holwell resigned from the bench on February 7, 2012.

Born in New York, New York, Holwell received a B.A. from Villanova University in 1967 and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1970. He graduated from Cambridge University School of Criminology in 1971. He was in private practice of law in New York, NY from 1971 to 2003, becoming a partner at White & Case LLP. There, his practice concentrated on securities, antitrust, bankruptcy and financial-market matters, as well as civil and criminal investigations before the Securities and Exchange Commission, Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission. Holwell also represented former New York governor George Pataki in a case that upheld the governor's authority to remove a district attorney who opposed the death penalty.

On August 1, 2002, Holwell was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, vacated by Barrington D. Parker, Jr.. The initial nomination having not succeeded, Howell was renominated for the position on January 7, 2003 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 17, 2003, after the White House and New York senator Charles Schumer resolved a long-running feud over the selection process for New York judges. Holwell received his commission on September 22, 2003.