Fuentes worked as a lawyer in private practice from 1975 until 1981 and worked as a judge in the Newark Municipal Court from 1979 until 1987. He then served as a judge in New Jersey Superior Court in Essex County from 1987 until being confirmed to the Third Circuit in 2000.[7]
Federal judicial service
Fuentes' name originally had been put forth for a District Court opening by then-Senator Robert Torricelli of New Jersey. President Bill Clinton's staff interviewed Fuentes and instead opted to bring forth Fuentes' name as a nominee at the court of appeals level. Clinton nominated Fuentes to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit seat on March 8, 1999. The United States Senate Judiciary Committee approved Fuentes' nomination on March 2, 2000, and the United States Senate confirmed Fuentes by a 93–0 vote on March 7, 2000.[10] Fuentes received his commission on March 9, 2000,[7] and was sworn in on May 15, 2000.[11] "I intend to honor this trust every day," Fuentes told a standing ovation as he was sworn in, according to a May 16, 2000, article in the Newark Star-Ledger.[citation needed] He assumed senior status on July 18, 2016.[7]
Personal life
During high school, Fuentes worked as a supermarket stock clerk and lifeguard, and "ha[s] vague memories of having a paper route."[12]
In 2002, he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University at Buffalo School of Law.[13]
^Hall of Fame: Judge Julio M. Fuentes, Toms River Regional Schools. Accessed November 22, 2017. "The Toms River Schools Hall of Fame is proud to induct Judge Julio M. Fuentes for his distinguished achievements in the field of law and, especially, for his appointment and confirmation to be a judge on the 3rd United States Circuit Court of Appeals, the second-highest level of the judiciary, just one step from the Supreme Court. His record in school as a student, as a person, as a member of the Student Council, and as an athlete, lettering in both football and wrestling---all presaged a most promising future."
^Hon. Julio M. Fuentes interviewed by Valerie Blanco, October 13, 1987, Latino Oral History Collection, Puerto Rican Community Archives of the New Jersey Hispanic Research & Information Center at The Newark Public Library