Alumni Connection
Alex Daniel '13, Counsel, New Jersey Civil Justice Institute
By Mike Riccobono '09
When walking through the turnstile doors of the Seton Hall Law at One Newark Center, one cannot help but notice the large, black and bronzed scales of justice positioned perfectly in front of the entrance. And, as Alex Daniel ’13 and countless others have learned, graduating with a law degree from Seton Hall gives you the unique opportunity to help make sure those scales perfectly balance that which is fair, just, and right.
So perhaps this is why Alex’s work for the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute (“NJCJI”)—the leading voice of New Jersey’s business community on matters of law and legal policy—is so meaningful to him and explains how his degree from Seton Hall Law assists NJCJI to promote a fair, efficient, and predictable civil justice system for New Jersey’s largest employers, business associations, and professional organizations.
Currently serving as NJCJI’s Counsel, Alex supports NJCJI’s advocacy efforts before all branches of government. To that end, Alex monitors New Jersey court decisions to assess their impact on the state’s civil justice system and represents NJCJI as amicus curiae in those cases that will have the biggest impact on the New Jersey business community. “I don’t like seeing chaos in our courts,” Alex shared, “so having the opportunity to advance NJCJI’s interests in restoring balance in the civil justice system and represent the organization’s ethos of ensuring all litigants are treated fairly in the state’s civil justice system is really important to me.” He continued: “At its core, NJCJI is an institute, and being able to engage in intellectual advocacy on matters that have a real impact on the day-to-day administration of justice is very rewarding.”
In addition, Alex appears before the New Jersey Legislature to provide testimony on pending legislation. “NJCJI does not lobby for any particular industry or interest; we’re there to help educate and assist our state legislators arrive at fair and balanced public policy,” Alex said. “We bring a unique perspective to the dialogue about how a certain piece of legislation may play out in the court system.”
While at SHU Law, Alex’s intellectual curiosity in the law was fostered by none other than former Dean Ronald Riccio and then Vice Dean Eric Lillquist. “Deans Riccio and Lillquist were instrumental in my development as a lawyer and my career path overall,” Alex said. “They taught me how to read the law and explain it in a practical manner. Dean Riccio’s Constitutional Law course was a real master class in explaining the law to the uninitiated. I loved it.”
Alex began his legal career serving as Law Clerk to New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice Anne Patterson. “I have to thank one of my mentors and fellow Seton Hall Law alumnus, Tom Scrivo ’89, for helping me figure out which of the justices I could best serve from a jurisprudential perspective,” Alex said. “The time I spent with Justice Patterson truly cemented my interest in pursuing an intellectually fulfilling career in the law and my work for NJCJI has exceeded my desires in that regard.”
In his free time, Alex enjoys cooking French cuisine and is currently working his way through one of Julia Child’s cookbooks. Alex is also an amateur fencer and enjoys spending time visiting New Jersey’s beautiful state parks and vineyards with his wife, Meredith—that is, whenever his 3 children (all currently 4 years old and under) allow him to do so. Like the scales of justice, Alex said, “It’s a balancing act.”
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