Philip Montante, an accomplished legal professional with over five decades of experience in prosecution, private practice, judicial trial litigation, administration, and federal appointments, served for 10 years on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. President George W. Bush first appointed him. In this role, followed by President Donald J. Trump, where Judge Montante participated in candidate evaluation and the selection process for White House Fellows. He was also appointed by the Governor of Florida to the Judicial Nominating Commission in Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit, where he served as chairman and oversaw the review of applicants for state judicial vacancies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Montante received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Florida Atlantic University, presented at the 1993 commencement exercises.
Mr. Montante’s legal experience includes serving as an assistant state’s attorney, a special assistant attorney general, a private practitioner, a chief municipal court judge, and, later, a United States immigration judge. Over roughly 30 years on the immigration bench, he adjudicated cases involving asylum, requests for protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, criminal-alien proceedings, marriage-fraud matters, and detention and removal hearings. His roles included service as an assistant chief U.S. immigration court judge and, subsequently, an appointment as a United States appellate immigration judge by the attorney general. In addition to his judicial work, Mr. Montante wrote on topics such as consumer fraud enforcement, organized crime prosecution, and child protection in immigration matters.