Gurbir Grewal (Courtesy of Youtube)
New Jersey Governor-elect Phil Murphy nominated Bergen County prosecutor Gurbir Grewal as the next attorney general of the state on Tuesday.
If Grewal is confirmed by the state Senate, he will become the first South Asian attorney general in New Jersey and the first Sikh to hold the position in any state.
“I am truly honored to nominate Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal to the position of Attorney General. If confirmed, he will be the first Sikh-American Attorney General in American history. Thank you, Gurbir, for accepting the call to serve NJ,” tweeted Murphy after announcing the nomination.
Grewal was nominated as Bergen County prosecutor by Governor Chris Christie in 2016. Before that, he worked as the former chief of the Economic Crimes Unit at the US Attorney’s Office.
He has also served as an Assistant US Attorney in both New York (2004-2007) and New Jersey (2010-2016).
“The American dream is alive and well in New Jersey,” Grewal said at a news conference in Trenton on Tuesday.
A law graduate from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Grewal said he entered public service because he “wanted to give back to a country that has given us and other immigrant families like us so much.”
“As someone who has experienced hate and intolerance firsthand throughout my life, I wanted to work to ensure that we all live in a fair and just society,” he added.
Grewal has been appreciated for the initiatives he has taken during his tenure at the office. Combating the opioid crisis in Bergen County and promoting better relations between police and the people were his achievements.
Governor Murphy, while announcing the nomination, said he wanted an attorney general who could fight against the policies of the Trump administration.
“The office of attorney general is more important today than perhaps at any point in our state’s history,” Murphy said.
“In light of all that is being thrown at us by the president, we need an attorney general unafraid to join our fellow states in using the law to protect all New Jersey residents,” he added.
A Glen Rock resident, Grewal has served as the president of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and a member of the New Jersey Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association.
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association praised Grewal for his achievement.
“We congratulate Gurbir Grewal on his historic nomination to serve as the attorney general of New Jersey,” said Pankit J Doshi, president of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.