William Griffith (1766 – June 7, 1826) was a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...

of the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit.

Education and career

Born in 1766, in Bound Brook,

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the ...

British America British America comprised the colonial territories of the English Empire, which became the British Empire after the 1707 union of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the Americas from 16 ...

, Griffith

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1788. He entered private practice in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

from 1789 to 1801. He was a surrogate for

Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

, New Jersey from 1790 to 1799. He was a member of the Burlington Common Council from 1793 to 1797. In 1796, he published ''A treatise on the jurisdiction and proceedings of justices of the peace in civil suits'' (Burlington, Elderkin & Miller, 1796) and in 1797 ''The Scriveners Guide'' (Newark, Printed by John Woods, 1797)Founders Online
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Federal judicial service

Griffith was nominated by President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

on February 18, 1801, to the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit, to a new seat authorized by . He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on February 20, 1801, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to abolition of the court.

Later career and death

Following his departure from the federal bench, Griffith resumed private practice in Burlington from 1802 to 1826. He was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1818 to 1819, and from 1823 to 1824. He was the Mayor of Burlington from 1824 to 1826. Griffith was appointed

Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States The clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States is the officer of the Supreme Court of the United States responsible for overseeing filings with the court and maintaining its records. The current clerk is Scott S. Harris. __NOTOC__ History ...

in 1826, but died before assuming his duties. He died on June 7, 1826, in Burlington.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Griffith, William 1766 births 1826 deaths 18th-century American judges Judges of the United States circuit courts Mayors of Burlington, New Jersey Members of the New Jersey General Assembly New Jersey city council members People from Bound Brook, New Jersey People from Burlington, New Jersey United States federal judges appointed by John Adams United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law