java array of arraylists

You have to keep a list of lists of JButton objects:

List<List<JButton>> lists = new ArrayList<List<JButton>>();
// populate (replace with your code)
lists.add(Arrays.asList(new JButton("list 1, button 1"), new JButton("list 1, button 2")));
lists.add(Arrays.asList(new JButton("list 2, button 3"), new JButton("list 2, button 4")));
lists.add(Arrays.asList(new JButton("list 3, button 5"), new JButton("list 3, button 6")));
lists.add(Arrays.asList(new JButton("list 4, button 7"), new JButton("list 4, button 8")));

// iterate
for(List<JButton> subList : lists) {
    for(JButton button : subList) {
        System.out.println(button.getText());
    }
}

Giving an example of what worked for me / talked above.

    List []oArrayOfArrayList = new ArrayList[2];

    List<String> oStringList = new ArrayList<String>();
    List<Integer> oIntegerList = new ArrayList<Integer>();

    oArrayOfArrayList[0] = oStringList ;
    oArrayOfArrayList[1] = oIntegerList ;

You cannot create arrays from classes with generic parameters.

You'll either want to make a list of a list, or forgo generic parameters.