Christine O'Hearn

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Christine O'Hearn

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Judge_Christine_O'Hearn.png

| alt =

| caption =

| office = Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

| term_start = October 22, 2021

| term_end =

| appointer = Joe Biden

| predecessor = Robert B. Kugler

| successor =

| pronunciation =

| birth_name = Christine Patricia McCall[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/O'Hearn%20SJQ%20Public%20Final.pdf United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Christine Patricia O'Hearn]

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|6|26}}

| birth_place = Camden, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = University of Delaware (BA)
Temple University (JD)

| footnotes =

}}

Christine Patricia O'Hearn (née Christine Patricia McCall, born June 26, 1969){{Cite web |title=Christine P. O'Hearn Profile |url=https://www.martindale.com/attorney/christine-p-o-hearn-1129780/ |access-date=2021-04-29 |website=www.martindale.com}}{{Cite web |last=Voruganti |first=Harsh |date=May 10, 2021 |title=Christine O'Hearn – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey |url=https://vettingroom.org/2021/05/10/christine-ohearn/ |access-date=May 10, 2021 |website=The Vetting Room |language=en}} is an American lawyer serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Education

Raised in the Marlton section of Evesham Township, New Jersey, O'Hearn graduated from Cherokee High School in 1987.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-marriage-of-mc/167226989/ "McCall-O'Hearn"], The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 2, 1989. Accessed March 4, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Mr. and Mrs. William J. McCall of Marlton announce the engagement of their daughter Christine Patricia McCall to Robert F. O'Hearn.... Miss McCall, a graduate of Cherokee High School in Marlton, is a senior at the University of Delaware. She plans to enter law school upon graduation in 1990."[https://www.lrhsd.org/cms/lib/NJ01000316/Centricity/Domain/53/PastInterviews.pdf "Where Are They Now?"], Lenape Regional High School District. Accessed January 29, 2023. "Christine McCall O'Hearn Cherokee ’87 Attorney" She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in 1993.[https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/29/president-biden-announces-second-slate-of-judicial-nominees/ "President Biden Announces Second Slate of Judicial Nominees", White House, April 29, 2021] {{PD-notice}}

Career

O'Hearn was a partner at the law firm of Brown & Connery LLP in Haddonfield, New Jersey from 1993 to 2021. From 2006 to 2007, O'Hearn was an adjunct professor at the Rutgers University School of Law. She is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

In 2007, she represented Gloucester County Institute of Technology against allegations that a teenage student had been abused by her swim coach for six years.

In 2011, she defended Gloucester Township Public Schools against multiple claims of alleged pervasive and persistent racism.

In 2012, O'Hearn defended the borough of Pine Hill, New Jersey, against allegations that an employee had been sexually harassed by the mayor.{{Cite web|url=https://prospect.org/justice/bidens-jekyll-and-hyde-judicial-nominations/|title = Biden's Jekyll-and-Hyde Judicial Nominations|publisher=The American Prospect|date = June 2021}}

O'Hearn's political contributions have all been to Democrats,{{Cite web|url=https://vettingroom.org/2021/05/10/christine-ohearn/#comments|title = Christine O'Hearn – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey|date = 10 May 2021}} including U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and former U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews.

= Federal judicial service =

On April 29, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated O'Hearn to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to the seat vacated by Judge Robert B. Kugler, who assumed senior status on November 2, 2018.[https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/29/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-15/ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, April 29, 2021] O'Hearn was recommended by Senator Robert Menendez.{{cite journal | url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/02/cory-booker-judicial-appointments-biden-judges.html | title=The Curious Case of Cory Booker's Judicial Appointments | journal=Slate | date=24 February 2023 | last1=Sammon | first1=Alexander }} Her nomination was criticized by some progressives, including the magazine The American Prospect, which said that she had "fought against workplace sexual harassment cases, defended police departments, and represented management during union drives." On June 23, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/06/16/2021/nominations United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 23, 2021] On July 22, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%20July%2022%202021.pdf Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 22, 2021, Senate Judiciary Committee] On October 19, 2021, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–44 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00415.htm|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Christine P. O'Hearn to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey)|date=October 19, 2021|website=United States Senate|access-date=October 19, 2021}} Her nomination was confirmed later that day by a 53–44 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00416.htm|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Christine P. O'Hearn, of New Jersey, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey) |date=October 19, 2021|website=United States Senate|access-date=October 19, 2021}} She received her judicial commission on October 22, 2021.{{FJC Bio|nid=10894766|inline=yes}}