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Informed Citizens

are Better Citizens

Officers

Charles J. Stoia, Esq., President, is a principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C. in Morristown, and a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of South Florida.

John F. Gillick, Esq., Vice President, is a partner in the Iselin law firm of Rainone, Coughlin, Minchello, LLC, and concentrates his practice on the litigation of employment discrimination, civil rights, and personal injury claims. He is a graduate of William Paterson University and received his Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University.

Thomas J. Manzo, Esq., Treasurer, a partner with the law firm of Szaferman Lakind in Lawrenceville, concentrates his civil trial practice in a variety of complex personal injury matters ranging from automobile and slip and fall accidents, to victims of crime, abuse and neglect and product liability. He graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University-Rutgers College, and received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Katrina Homel, Esq., Secretary, is Associate Director, Legal Services and Member Rights at NJEA (New Jersey Education Association). She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with General and Departmental Honors from Vassar College, and earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Kathleen N. Fennelly, Esq., Immediate Past President, is a partner with McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP in Morristown and focuses her practice in the areas of general commercial litigation, including consumer fraud/class action defense litigation; and guardianship matters. She graduated from Fairfield University magna cum laude and earned her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law cum laude.

Trustees

Christine A. Amalfe, Esq. is Chair of the Employment & Labor Group at Gibbons in Newark and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University and earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from Syracuse University School of Law.

 

Maria Cristiano Anderson, Esq. serves as Associate University Counsel for Montclair State University. She graduated phi beta kappa from Rutgers University and cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Ronald C. Appleby, Jr., Esq. is Assistant Deputy Public Defender in the Office of the Public Defender, Woodbury, New Jersey. He is a cum laude graduate of Johns Hopkins University and received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

Kelly Ann Bird, Esq., Director, Employment & Labor Law with Gibbons in Newark, concentrates her practice in employment and human resources issues. She holds degrees from College of the Holy Cross, the University of Virginia and Seton Hall University School of Law.

Faudia A. Hameed Clemenza, Esq. of the Law Offices of Faudia A. Hameed Clemenza in Bergen County, specializes in family law, mediation, and municipal law. She graduated from Cook College—Rutgers University with a B.S. in Biology and received her J.D. from Rutgers School of Law—Newark.

Craig J. Compoli, Jr., Esq. is a partner at O’Toole Scrivo in Cedar Grove.  A Certified Civil Trial Attorney, he concentrates his practice on civil litigation.  He earned his B.S. degree from West Virginia University and his J.D. from New England Law Boston.

Denise M. DePekary, Esq. focuses her practice at Weber Gallagher in Bedminster on insurance coverage litigation, representing insurance companies on a national level. She is a graduate of Lafayette College and earned her law degree from Yeshiva University Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.

Maria Fruci, Esq. is a Partner in the law firm of Genova Burns LLC, and concentrates her practice on complex commercial litigation, class action defense, intellectual property, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and select family matters. She also co-chairs the firm’s Fashion Law Practice Group. She graduated summa cum laude from Drew University and received her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Alexandra V. Gallo, Esq. is a partner with O’Toole Scrivo in Cedar Grove, NJ, where she focuses her practice in the area of business litigation. She graduated from Villanova University and received her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Noberto A. Garcia, Esq., is a partner at Partner at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari in Jersey City and is a certified civil trial attorney and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He represents clients in a broad spectrum of personal injury matters. He has a B.A. cum laude in history from Seton Hall University and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He has been admitted to the bars of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

 

Hon. Helen E. Hoens is a retired Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, retired Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate and Law Divisions, and the owner of Helen E. Hoens, Esq., LLC, a consulting company focusing on arbitration, insurance loss appraisal and appellate matters. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with High Honors and received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.

Mikeisha Anderson Jones, Esq. is the global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer for Milbank. She is a graduate of Smith College and received her juris doctor from Rutgers Law School—Newark.

 

Jeralyn L. Lawrence, Esq. is the Managing Member and Founder of Lawrence Law, and devotes her practice to matrimonial, divorce, and family law, and is a trained collaborative lawyer, divorce mediator, and arbitrator. She is a graduate of Kean University and received her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Eugenia Lynch, Esq., of The Law Offices of Eugenia Lynch in Ocean County , specializes in criminal law and general practice in the areas of family and real estate. She is a graduate of Cook College – Rutgers University with a B.S. in Environmental Science and received her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. 

 

Diana Manning, Esq. is the Managing Principal of Bressler, Amery & Ross, Co-Chair of the firm’s Business and Commercial Litigation practice group, and spearheads the firm’s Appellate practice team. She received her B.A. from Rutgers University and her law degree from Rutgers University School of Law – Newark.

Timothy F. McGoughran, Esq. is the founding partner of the Law Office of Timothy F. McGoughran in Ocean and concentrates his practice in family law. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Seton Hall University School of Law.

William H. Mergner Jr., Esq. is co-managing partner of Leary, Bride, Mergner & Bongiovanni in Cedar Knolls. A trial attorney, he has taught seminars on a wide range of issues from products liability law to trial techniques. He is a graduate of the Catholic University of America and earned his law degree from Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary.

Aruna K. Pappu, Esq. is the Associate Director at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) where she leads the efforts in building out their Planned Giving Program. She has more than twenty years’ experience as a Trust, Estate and Tax attorney, specializing in philanthropic planning for high-net-worth clientele. Ms. Pappu received her J.D from Rutgers University School of Law-Camden and her Master of Laws in Taxation from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Loren L. Pierce, Esq. is a principal at Bressler, Amery & Ross in Florham Park and a member of the firm’s Business and Commercial Litigation practice group focusing on commercial, insurance coverage, and employment litigation. She holds degrees from Lafayette College and Seton Hall University School of Law.

Diane K. Smith, Esq. has spent her career in public interest, currently serving as the Managing Attorney, Housing Justice Project, Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall University School of Law. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, from the Catholic University of America and earned her law degree from Rutgers School of Law.

G. Glennon Troublefield, Esq. is a partner in the Litigation and Intellectual Property Departments at Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello, focusing on complex civil and corporate litigation and intellectual property matters (patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and trade dress). He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law.