Paula Dow facts for kids

Paula T. Dow is an American lawyer and judge, born in 1955. She was the 58th Attorney General for the state of New Jersey. Governor Chris Christie chose her for this important role. Paula Dow made history as the first African-American woman to hold this position in New Jersey.

In December 2011, Governor Christie announced that Dow would take on a new temporary role. She became the First Deputy General Counsel for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. At the same time, Christie nominated Jeffrey S. Chiesa to become the new Attorney General. Chiesa officially took over from Dow on January 10, 2012.

Early Life and School

Paula Dow was born in 1955. She grew up in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, which is a town near Philadelphia. She went to Franklin & Marshall College and earned her first degree in 1977. Later, she studied law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, finishing in 1980.

Paula Dow's Career

Paula Dow has had a long and interesting career in law. She started working as a lawyer in 1978.

Early Legal Work

From 1980 to 1987, she worked for a large company called Exxon. She gave advice on environmental and labor issues in different states like Texas, New Jersey, and New York.

In 1987, Dow joined the office of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She worked there until 1994. After that, she moved to the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. She worked there from 1994 to 2003. For some of that time, from 2002 to 2003, she was a special advisor to U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

Essex County Prosecutor

In 2003, Governor Jim McGreevey nominated Paula Dow to be the top prosecutor for Essex County. This job is called the Prosecutor. Some local leaders did not agree with her nomination at first.

State senators from Essex County delayed her approval. They said they had not been asked for their opinion on the choice. After working as the Acting Prosecutor for two years, she was officially sworn in. Governor Richard Codey made her the full Prosecutor in June 2005.

New Jersey Attorney General

On December 15, 2009, Governor-elect Chris Christie announced his first cabinet choice. He nominated Paula Dow to be the Attorney General of New Jersey. This was a very important moment because she became the first African-American woman to hold this high position in the state.

She started as the Acting Attorney General on January 19, 2010. The Senate Judiciary Committee quickly approved her nomination. The full Senate then confirmed her choice on February 22, and she was sworn in the next day. In 2011, Governor Christie also gave Dow a role at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Becoming a Judge

In 2012, a New Jersey Senate Committee approved Governor Christie's plan to make Dow a judge. She became a judge in the Superior Court. Paula Dow worked in the Family Court Division in Burlington County until December 2015. After that, she was assigned to a different part of the court. She retired from her judge position as of April 9, 2025.

Personal Life

Paula Dow lives in Maplewood. She is a single mother and has two children.

See also

• List of female state attorneys general in the United States