William J. Castner

Rutgers University President William F. Tate IV appointed William J. Castner, an attorney who has held leadership positions at the highest levels of New Jersey’s public and private sectors, as the university’s executive vice president for legal affairs and general counsel.

Castner holds a law degree and a public policy master’s degree from Rutgers and comes to the position with extensive experience in both public and private practice. His leadership positions within New Jersey state government include chief counsel to the Governor, commissioner on the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation and senior advisor to the Governor on firearms.

Castner’s positions in private practice include serving as director at the firm Gibbons PC, senior vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, and most recently, chair of regulatory affairs and compliance at Connell Foley, LLP.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Rowan University, Castner earned a master’s degree from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and a J.D. from the Rutgers School of Law-Camden. After working at the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, Castner clerked for New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice James R. Zazzali, who went on to become chief justice, as well as for Presiding Judge for Administration of the Appellate Division Sylvia B. Pressler. Following his clerkships, Castner was appointed general counsel to the New Jersey General Assembly and later executive director. In 2010, Castner served as chief counsel to the Democratic members of the Apportionment Commission as well as the Redistricting Commission.

Castner received the Arthur E. Armitage Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award from the Rutgers School of Law-Camden Alumni Association in 2022.

JoAnn Redman, Office Manager
Winants Hall
7 College Avenue, Room 402
Phone: 848-932-7697
Fax: 732-932-8473
Email: jredman@ogc.rutgers.edu