{ "id": "epgjzrpamv", "slug": "brian-m-cogan", "title": "Brian M. Cogan", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "label": "Surnames C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Brian M. Cogan is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge for the Eastern District of New York, appointed by George W. Bush in 2006.", "snippet": "Brian M. Cogan is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge for the Eastern District of New York, appointed by George W. Bush in 2006.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-c", "markdown": "# Brian M. Cogan\n\nBrian Mark Cogan (born 1954) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) He was appointed by President George W. Bush and took the bench in 2006.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) He assumed senior status in 2020.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) |\n| Appointed by | George W. Bush[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) |\n| Confirmed | May 4, 2006, by a vote of 95 to 0[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1090479) |\n| Senior status | June 12, 2020[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) |\n| Born | 1954 in Chicago, Illinois[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) |\n| Education | B.A., University of Illinois, 1975; J.D., Cornell Law School, 1979[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nCogan was born in 1954 in Chicago, Illinois.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from the University of Illinois in 1975 and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from Cornell Law School in 1979.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter law school, Cogan served as a law clerk to Judge Sydney M. Aronovitz of the [United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-district-court-for-the-southern-district-of-florida) from 1979 to 1980.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) He then spent more than two decades in private practice in New York City, from 1980 until his appointment to the federal bench in 2006.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [George W. Bush](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-w-bush) nominated Cogan to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on January 25, 2006.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) The Senate confirmed the nomination on May 4, 2006, by a vote of 95 to 0.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1090479) He received his commission on June 7, 2006.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391) He served as an active judge until assuming senior status on June 12, 2020.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn 2019, Cogan issued a pair of post-trial rulings in a hedge fund case, granting a judgment of acquittal and ordering a new trial. A Law.com analysis by Katya Jestin, Anne Cortina Perry, and Lori B. Day described the rulings as highly unusual and as illustrating the challenges facing white-collar prosecutors seeking convictions for complex schemes, noting that evidence of criminal intent can be difficult to establish.[3](https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2019/12/06/judicial-grant-of-acquittal-and-new-trial-in-hedge-fund-case-underscores-challenges-of-prosecuting-financial-crimes/)\n\nAmong the published opinions Cogan authored for the court, the most cited in the CourtListener corpus is Sobczak v. AWL Industries, Inc.[4](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/brian-cogan)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Brian Mark Cogan](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392391)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote, May 4, 2006](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1090479)\n3. [Judicial Grant of Acquittal and New Trial in Hedge Fund Case Underscores Challenges of Prosecuting Financial Crimes](https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2019/12/06/judicial-grant-of-acquittal-and-new-trial-in-hedge-fund-case-underscores-challenges-of-prosecuting-financial-crimes/)\n4. [Brian Mark Cogan: Judge, Eastern District of New York](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/brian-cogan)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames C*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Brian M. Cogan\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Brian M. Cogan](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Brian M. Cogan\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-m-cogan. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Brian M. Cogan is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge for the Eastern District of New York, appointed by George W. Bush in 2006." }