Background
He was the son of Stephen Philbin and Eliza (McGoldrick) Philbin.
He was the son of Stephen Philbin and Eliza (McGoldrick) Philbin.
He attended Xavier High School, and graduated from Seton Hall College. In 1883, he entered Columbia Law School, graduated in 1885, and practiced law with the firm of Ogden & Beekman.
He was New York County District Attorney from 1900 to 1901. In August 1899, Philbin was appointed to the New York State Board of Charities to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Vinton Dahlgren (1869–1899, son of John A Dahlgren). In December 1900, Philbin was appointed by Governor Theodore Roosevelt New York County Doctorate.A. to fill the vacancy caused by the removal from office of Asa Bird Gardiner.
Philbin remained in office until the end of 1901.
President Roosevelt appointed him in 1904 to a citizens group investigating conditions at Ellis Island. In June 1904, Seton Hall conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on Philbin.
In May 1905, he told the students at Cornell University that the corrupt New York City Police gets about one million dollars in graft per year. In October 1905, at the Democratic city convention, Philbin made the nominating speech for Mayor George B. McClellan"s re-election.
In April 1913, Philbin was appointed by Government.
William Sulzer to the New York Supreme Court (1st Doctorate) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward East. McCall. In November 1913, he was elected to succeed himself, and in 1919 was appointed to the Appellate Division. He died of pneumonia at his home at 63, West 52nd Street in Manhattan.
In 1894, he became the senior member of Philbin, Beekman & Menken. From 1904 to 1919, Philbin was an active and influential member of the Marquette League, a New York City-based organization that raised funds for Catholic missions among Native Americans in western states.