Born in
Newark, New Jersey, Salerno graduated from
Seton Hall Preparatory School in 1979. Salerno earned his
Bachelor of Arts from
Brown University, in 1983, and
Juris Doctor from the
University of Virginia School of Law in 1990. After graduating law school, Salerno worked in various law firms in
Washington, D.C. D.C. superior court On September 29, 2014, President
Barack Obama nominated Salerno to a 15-year term as an associate judge of the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia to the seat vacated by Judge Robert Isaac Richter. On December 3, 2015, the
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing on his nomination. On December 17, 2015, the Committee reported his nomination favorably to the senate floor and later that day, the
Senate confirmed his nomination by
voice vote. He was sworn in on March 11, 2016. ==Personal life==