On February 3, Governor Phil Murphy announced the nomination of Matt Platkin as the next attorney general of New Jersey, subject to Senate confirmation. Platkin previously served as policy director to Murphy in his gubernatorial campaign and then as the governor’s chief counsel.
As chief counsel, Platkin managed a team of attorneys and oversaw all legislative, executive, litigation, and administrative actions in the governor’s office, including all legal matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Platkin played a key role in the drafting of pandemic-related executive orders and defending the state’s pandemic-related actions. According to Governor Murphy’s press release, as chief counsel, “Platkin spearheaded a number of policy initiatives, including gun safety and the expansion of voting rights, and played a critical role in the negotiations of three approximately $40 billion annual state budgets.”
On February 14, if confirmed, Platkin will commence his role as the acting attorney general, succeeding Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck, who Governor Murphy appointed in July 2021. Governor Murphy commented that Platkin will continue moving the attorney general’s office and the state forward.
Platkin has prior experience in private practice and is currently a partner at a law firm, specializing in white collar criminal defense and business litigation. Previously, during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Platkin served as special counsel to U.S. Senator Cory Booker. He attended Stanford University for his undergraduate studies and earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School.