Matthew Platkin

Matt Platkin
Born	Matthew J. Platkin Template:Birth year and age
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney, government official
Title	Attorney General of New Jersey (2022–2026)
Known for	62nd Attorney General of New Jersey
Education	Stanford University (BA, JD)
Awards	First Jewish Attorney General of New Jersey

Matthew J. Platkin (born c. 1987) is an American attorney who served as the 62nd Attorney General of New Jersey from 2022 to 2026 under Governor Phil Murphy. A graduate of Stanford University, where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees, Platkin first entered public service as chief counsel to Governor Murphy before transitioning to a partnership at the law firm Lowenstein Sandler. Nominated by Murphy to lead the state's top law enforcement office, Platkin was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate in September 2022 despite opposition from Republican lawmakers. He became the first Jewish attorney general in New Jersey's history upon taking office. During his tenure, Platkin pursued high-profile corruption cases, including racketeering charges against Democratic power broker George Norcross, and spearheaded more than 40 lawsuits against the Trump administration as part of multistate coalitions. After leaving office in January 2026, Platkin founded Platkin LLP, a litigation boutique.

Early Life

Matthew J. Platkin was born circa 1987. Details regarding his upbringing and family background prior to his higher education are limited in publicly available sources. Platkin is Jewish, a fact that became notable when he was sworn in as attorney general and became the first person of Jewish faith to hold that office in New Jersey's history.

Education

Platkin attended Stanford University in California, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently remained at Stanford for law school, earning his Juris Doctor (JD) from Stanford Law School. His dual Stanford education placed him among a relatively small group of attorneys who completed both their undergraduate and legal training at the same elite institution.

Career

Chief Counsel to Governor Murphy

Platkin entered New Jersey government service as chief counsel to Governor Phil Murphy. In this role, he served as the governor's principal legal adviser, a position that placed him at the center of the Murphy administration's policy and legal decision-making. Platkin served in this capacity from the beginning of the Murphy administration until his departure in September 2020. His tenure as chief counsel established a close working relationship with Murphy that would later prove significant when the governor sought to fill the attorney general position.

Lowenstein Sandler

After leaving the governor's office, Platkin joined the New Jersey-based law firm Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in its white collar criminal defense and business litigation practice groups. His time in private practice was relatively brief, as Governor Murphy soon called upon him to return to public service.

Nomination and Confirmation as Attorney General

In January 2022, Governor Murphy announced his intention to nominate Platkin to serve as New Jersey's attorney general. The formal announcement was made on January 31, 2022, through the governor's office. Lowenstein Sandler confirmed the nomination of its partner to the role.

Platkin began serving in an acting capacity on February 14, 2022, succeeding Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck. The confirmation process before the New Jersey Senate drew partisan divisions. Republican lawmakers raised objections to the nomination, though the specific nature of their concerns encompassed policy disagreements and questions about Platkin's background. Despite this opposition, the Senate confirmed Platkin as attorney general on September 29, 2022.

Tenure as Attorney General

Corruption Prosecutions

One of the most consequential actions of Platkin's tenure as attorney general was the prosecution of George Norcross, one of the most powerful unelected political figures in New Jersey. Norcross, a South Jersey Democratic power broker who had for decades wielded enormous influence over state politics without holding elected office, was indicted on racketeering charges in June 2024.

The charges against Norcross represented a significant moment in New Jersey politics. Norcross, despite never holding public office, had been described by The New York Times as having "no title and no elective office, but influence across New Jersey." The attorney general's office charged Norcross with racketeering, alleging a pattern of using political connections for personal enrichment and the enrichment of associates. Platkin personally announced the charges at a press conference in June 2024.

The Norcross prosecution drew both praise and backlash. The case was seen by some as a long-overdue reckoning with the state's entrenched political machine culture. However, it also generated significant pushback. A South Jersey state senator accused Platkin of using his office to pursue political vendettas, claims that Platkin called "outrageous." As Platkin's term neared its end in early 2026, The New York Times reported that an anonymous negative advertising campaign had been aimed at the departing attorney general, which the newspaper framed in the context of New Jersey's long history of political corruption and the targeting of those who fight it. One political observer quoted by the Times described the campaign as "a warning to others."

Ballot Design Reform

Platkin also became involved in efforts to reform New Jersey's controversial ballot design system, specifically the practice known as "the line," in which county party organizations grant favored candidates a preferred position on the ballot. This system had been criticized for giving establishment-backed candidates an unfair structural advantage. In 2024, Platkin took a public position on the ballot design issue in the context of a lawsuit related to the U.S. Senate campaign of Andy Kim. Platkin's stance on the issue drew attention from political observers, with the New Jersey Globe reporting on statements regarding his position on the county line system.

Multistate Litigation Against the Trump Administration

A significant component of Platkin's tenure involved leading or joining multistate legal actions against the federal government during the second Trump administration. Platkin spearheaded more than 40 lawsuits against the Trump administration, joining coalitions of state attorneys general in challenging federal policies across multiple areas.

Among the notable legal actions was a multistate lawsuit targeting Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Platkin characterized as an effort to stop attacks on Americans. The attorney general's office announced Platkin's participation in the coalition action challenging DOGE's activities. These multistate actions covered a range of federal policy areas and represented one of the most active periods of federal-state legal confrontation in recent New Jersey history.

End of Tenure

Platkin's term as attorney general ended on January 20, 2026, coinciding with the transition to a new gubernatorial administration. He was succeeded by Jennifer Davenport in an acting capacity. Upon leaving office, Platkin reflected on his tenure and the political dynamics surrounding his departure. The New York Times coverage of the anonymous attack campaign against him highlighted the personal and professional costs of pursuing corruption cases in a state with deeply entrenched political networks.

Platkin LLP

In February 2026, approximately two weeks after leaving the attorney general's office, Platkin announced the founding of Platkin LLP, a litigation boutique law firm composed of former colleagues from the attorney general's office and other legal backgrounds. The firm was established with Platkin and three other attorneys.

Bloomberg Law reported that the new firm aimed to bring "high-profile legal battles" in its practice, reflecting the type of complex, high-stakes litigation Platkin had overseen as attorney general.

In an interview with Law.com, Platkin discussed the challenges he faced in transitioning back to private practice. He expressed disappointment with some elements of the legal profession, stating, "A big part of the profession let me down." The article noted that a week after launching his firm, Platkin still did not have a physical office space, underscoring the rapid and somewhat improvised nature of the firm's founding.

Shortly after the firm's launch, Platkin LLP partnered with the Democracy Defenders Fund to submit a letter to the Commerce Department Inspector General demanding an investigation into whether a United Arab Emirates investment in a Trump family cryptocurrency venture had influenced a Commerce Department policy reversal, alleging the Trump family may have profited nearly $200 million from the arrangement.

Personal Life

Platkin is Jewish and made history as the first Jewish attorney general in New Jersey's history when he was sworn into office. He is a member of the Democratic Party. During and after his tenure as attorney general, Platkin faced an anonymous negative advertising campaign that The New York Times characterized as part of a broader pattern of targeting corruption fighters in New Jersey politics.

Recognition

Platkin's prosecution of George Norcross on racketeering charges was one of the most significant corruption cases in New Jersey in recent years, drawing national media attention from outlets including The New York Times, Politico, The Hill, and NBC Philadelphia. His role in leading over 40 multistate lawsuits against the Trump administration was noted by legal and political observers as among the most active such efforts by any state attorney general during that period.

Platkin's distinction as the first Jewish attorney general of New Jersey was recognized by Jewish media and community organizations at the time of his swearing-in ceremony.

The founding of Platkin LLP received coverage from multiple legal and business publications, including Bloomberg Law, Law360, Insurance Journal, and Law.com, reflecting the significance attributed to his post-government career moves within the legal profession.

Legacy

Platkin's tenure as New Jersey's attorney general was defined by two principal themes: the pursuit of political corruption within New Jersey and the defense of state interests against federal government actions. The Norcross racketeering prosecution represented one of the most ambitious anti-corruption efforts by a New Jersey attorney general in modern history, targeting one of the state's most entrenched political figures. Whether the case ultimately results in convictions or reshapes New Jersey's political culture remains to be determined, but the indictment itself was widely covered as a watershed moment in the state's politics.

The anonymous attack campaign directed at Platkin as he left office illustrated the personal risks associated with taking on powerful political interests in New Jersey. As reported by The New York Times, the campaign was interpreted by political observers as an attempt to discourage future officeholders from pursuing similar corruption cases, with one source calling it "a warning to others."

Platkin's involvement in ballot design reform intersected with broader national conversations about election fairness and political party structures. His position on the county line system contributed to ongoing legal and legislative efforts to reform New Jersey's ballot design practices.

His rapid transition to founding a litigation firm focused on high-profile cases, including immediate challenges to federal government conduct, suggested a continuation of the adversarial posture he adopted as attorney general. The partnership with the Democracy Defenders Fund on investigations into potential conflicts of interest involving the Trump administration indicated that Platkin intended to remain active in public interest litigation beyond his government tenure.