• King's College, B.A., 1967
• University of Toledo College of Law, J.D., 1970, University of Toledo Law Review

Joseph J. Farnan, Jr. served as a United States District Judge for the District of Delaware from 1985 to 2010. He served as Chief Judge from 1997 to 2001. During his tenure on the bench, Mr. Farnan presided over cases involving complex commercial disputes, including patent, antitrust and Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Indicative of the number of patent trials Mr. Farnan conducted, during a three year period only one federal district held more patent jury trials than Mr. Farnan. Prior to his appointment to the federal bench, Mr. Farnan served as the United States Attorney for the District of Delaware (1981-1985); Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware (1979-1981); County Attorney for New Castle County (1976-1979); and Assistant Public Defender for the State of Delaware (1972-1975). While serving as Chief Deputy Attorney General and United States Attorney, Mr. Farnan was directly responsible for the investigation and prosecution of several high profile white collar and organized crime cases. In 1983, Mr. Farnan filed the first ever RICO case in the District of Delaware. During his years in private and public sector practice, Mr. Farnan personally tried numerous cases in federal and state courts. Mr. Farnan’s practice is focused on patent litigation, complex commercial matters, and Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Mr. Farnan also serves as an arbitrator/mediator and consults on various aspects of litigation for major corporations.