At James M. Porfido, Attorney at Law, LLC, in Morristown, we bring the requisite experience both in and out of the courtroom to provide our clients the aggressive advocacy necessary to protect their rights in a wide range of criminal defense matters.
We provide highly personalized legal guidance that seeks to either gain acquittal, mitigate charges or minimize penalties. Every legal strategy is designed to suit the unique facts of each case and is developed in close consort with each client.
Mr. Porfido has nearly 25 years of experience in the field of criminal law. He is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney and has been selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers from 2008 through 2017. He is a former prosecutor who now uses his knowledge of the system to defend clients charged with a wide range of crimes.
Mr. Porfido served as an Assistant Morris County Prosecutor from 1989 to 1997. In that role, he served as the chief prosecutor of the Vehicular Homicide and Assault by Auto Unit, as well as the chief of the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. That experience provides him invaluable insights into how prosecutors build their cases and where to find weaknesses. He also has a thorough understanding of the leeway prosecutors have in negotiating settlements and alternative sentences.
He has been a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney — certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey — since 1995, and was re-certified in 2002.
Courses Attended 2011
May 17, 18, 2011
- Holtz Title Learning Center, Title 39 motor vehicle Law
- New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines Criminal Law Overview
- Interviews and confession Law (13.6 hours)
May 17, 2011
- Morris County Bar Association, Immigration Law for Criminal Practitioners (2.9 hours)
March 28, 2011
- Garden State CLE, Gun Law in New Jersey (2.5 Hours)
June 30, 2010
- New Jersey Continuing Legal Education, “Like it Never Happened”
- Services NJCLES, New Jersey Expungement Law
November 11, 12, 2010
- New Jersey Association for Justice, Meadowlands Seminar
- Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (7.8 hours criminal law, 2.1 hours ethics)
New Jersey Institute for Continuing
- Legal Education, DWI Update 2011
- Advanced DWI Practice, The Cutting Edge DWI Issues for Experienced DWI
- Practitioners (4.0 Hours)
May 14, 2010
- New Jersey Continuing Legal Education Services, NJCLES, Exceptions to
- Warrant Requirements (4.0 Hours)
- Morris County Bar Association, Morris/Sussex Bench Bar Conference,
- Criminal Trial Law, Developmentally Disabled Offenders (2.5 hours)
February 28, 2011
- Garden State CLE, DWI Criminal Law Review (4.0 Hours)
Certified Legal Specialties
- Criminal Trial Attorney, Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1995
- Criminal Trial Attorney, Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2002
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1989
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1989
Education
- University of Bridgeport School of Law, Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Seton Hall University, Newark, New Jersey
- Bachelor of Arts – 1985
- Major: Political Science
Classes/Seminars
- Lecturer, Criminal Trial Preparation, Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1999 – 2000
- Lecturer, Criminal Trial Preparation, Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2002
- Lecturer, Criminal Trial Preparation, Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2002
- Representing Crime Victims in the Criminal & Civil Justice Systems, The New Jersey Victims of Crime Compensation Board (NJ VCCB) and the New Jersey
- Crime Victims’ Law Center (NJ CVLC), February 23, 2004 – February 24, 2004
Honors and Awards
- Dedication and Service Award, New Jersey Coalition of Crime Victims
- Service Award, Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA)
- Achievement Award, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
- Professional Associations and Memberships
- Borough of Mountain Lakes, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Municipal Public Defender, 2001 – Present
- Township of Denville, New Jersey, Municipal Public Defender, 2001 – Present
- Morris County Bar Association (MCBA), Member
- New Jersey Bar Association (NJBA), Member
- Animal Legal Defense, Attorney Member
- New Jersey Bar Association (NJBA), Criminal Law Section, Member
- New Jersey Bar Association (NJBA), Sports and Entertainment Law Sections, Member
- National Italian American Bar Association (NIABA), Member
- New Jersey Certified Criminal Trial Attorney Association (NJCCTA), Member, 1995 – Present
- National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), Member, 1989 – 1997
- Teresa G. Wright Promise Foundation, Member, Board of Directors
Past Employment Positions
- Morris County, New Jersey, Asst. Pros., Chief of-Sex Crimes & Child Abuse;
- Vehicular Homicide; Mjr. Crimes & Homicide; Domestic Violence, Juv. Delinquency & Trial Units, 1989 – 1997
- Fullerton and Porfido, P.A., Succasunna, New Jersey, Junior Partner, 1997 – 2002
- Hon. Ronald B. Graves, J.S.C., Morris/Sussex Superior Court Vicinage, Judicial Clerk, 1988 – 1989
- Hon. Clarkson S. Fisher, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court, Trenton, New Jersey, Federal Intern, 1988
- Civil Clinic, University of Bridgeport School of Law, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Legal Intern, 1987
- Courter, Kobert, Laufer & Cohen, P.C., Morristown, New Jersey, Summer Associate, 1987
- Fullerton, Porfido & Wronko, P.A., Succasunna, New Jersey, Summer Associate, 1986
- Congressman Dean A. Gallo, Congressional District 11, Congressional Intern, 1984
Pro Bono Activities
- Pro Bono Counsel, Jersey Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Program
- Pro Bono Counsel, New Jersey Crime Victims Law Center
- Member, Board of Trustees, Hope House (Division of Catholic Charities)
- Member, Board of Trustees, New Jersey Crime Victim’s Law Center
Languages
