The Hon. William J. McGovern, III is a judge for the Morris/Sussex County Superior Court (Vicinage 10) in New Jersey. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jim McGreevey on June 25, 2004.
McGovern has held assignments in the Civil Division (2004 to 2005, 2009 to 2015, 2019 to present) and the Family Division (2005 to 2009) in Sussex County. He also presided in Morris County, where he sat in the Criminal Division (2015 to 2018) and the Civil Division (2019 to present).
Prior to his appointment, McGovern was a partner at McGovern & Roseman, a firm he joined in 1980. During this time, he supplemented his practice with service as a municipal attorney for the Andover Township (1996 to 1998), a municipal prosecutor for the Hardyston Township (1992 to 1994), and an attorney for the Ogdensburg Borough Planning Board (1982 to 1989).
McGovern earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of the Holy Cross in 1974. He then completed a J.D. at Southwestern Law School in 1979. While in law school, McGovern worked as a legal clerk for Ticor Title Insurance (1976 to 1979).