Of Counsel
Biography
Mr. Morelli is a certified civil trial attorney who has been actively appearing before juries since he was admitted to the bar in 1981. The Supreme Court of New Jersey has Certified Mr. Morelli as a Civil Trial Attorney, a distinction that less than 2% of attorneys achieve. Mr. Morelli is a 1981 graduate of Rutgers University Law School. He holds a B.A. degree from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. While an undergraduate, Mr. Morelli was a member of the Pi Gamma Mu National Honor Society. He graduated cum laude, with honors in Political Science in 1978.
He is admitted to practice in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California as well as the United States District Courts for New Jersey, the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the Southern District of California, the United States Claims Court and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Camden County Bar Association the California Bar Association and the California Lawyers
Mr. Morelli served as the Municipal Court Judge for Waterford and Voorhees Townships, the Boroughs of Stratford, Woodlynne and Collingswood from 1997 until 2018. Mr. Morelli has served as a member of the Municipal Court Practice Committees for the New Jersey State Bar Association and the Camden County Bar Association. He has authored The History of the Municipal Courts which appeared in New Jersey Lawyer magazine as well as articles on Lincoln the Lawyer and a book chapter in the New Jersey Municipal Court Practice Manual. Mr. Morelli has also been appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to the District IV Ethics Committee where he served for 10 years. He served as the Vice Chair, then as Chair of the District IV Ethics Committee during his tenure on the committee.
Mr. Morelli has argued cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court and has been involved in over forty reported cases.
Mr. Morelli served as the City Attorney and Director of the Department of Law for the City of Trenton, New Jersey from 2018 until 2021. In addition to supervising the staff attorneys, Mr. Morelli was responsible for the management of all litigation matters, all urban redevelopment projects as well as the drafting of all resolutions and ordinances on behalf of the City. He served as the chief legal advisor to both the Mayor and City Council.
As City Attorney, Mr. Morelli was responsible for the drafting of a comprehensive zoning ordinance for medical marijuana facilities in the City of Trenton. He has negotiated redevelopment and land use agreements involving some of the largest national marijuana companies. Mr. Morelli also drafted a comprehensive regulatory plan for the marijuana industry within the City of Trenton which has served as a model ordinance for other municipalities within the State as well as throughout the country.
Since 2024, he has been actively involved in the defense of California State Bar disciplinary matters both with Cha Legal Ethics and Erin Joyce Law. He is also the author of The Angel Theory Consequences and Intended
Classes & Seminars
- New Jersey Continuing Legal Education, What Happens To Your Practice If You Die Or Become Disabled – Speaker April 2022
- Current Issues in Municipal Court, Gloucester County Bar, 2016
- Lincoln and the use of Humor in Trial Practice, NJ ICLE, 2015
- Legal Ethics, Gloucester County Bar Association, 2012
- Municipal Court Practice, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal, 2010
Certified Legal Specialties
- Certified Civil Trial Attorney, New Jersey Supreme Court, 2005
Education
- Rutgers University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
- J.D. – 1981
- LeMoyne College, Syracuse, New York
- B.A. – 1978
- Honors: cum laude
- Major: Political Science
- Major: History
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1981
- Pennsylvania, 1981
- California, 2009
Pro-Bono Activities
- Legal Services Pro Bono Award, 1983
Published Works
- Abraham Lincoln Lawyer, Camden County Barrister, 2009
- History of the Municipal Court, New Jersey State Bar Journal, March, 1997
Professional Associations
- New Jersey State Bar Association, 1981 to Present
- Camden County Bar Association, 1981 to Present
- California Bar Association, 2009 to Present
- California Lawyers Association
- Association of Discipline Defense Attorneys
Fraternities or Sororities
- Pi Gamma Mu
Links
- Court Room Sharks: John Morelli
- Jacobs, Schwalbe & Petruzzelli: John Morelli
- Amazon Books: John Morelli
- Linkedin: John Morelli
CONTACT JOHN
REPRESENTING CLIENTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF CALIFORNIA
When you get a letter from the State Bar, don’t go it alone! You need competent, experienced counsel to respond to the State Bar at every stage. Your license is at risk, so ensure you have the best representation from a former State Bar prosecutor before sending any response to an investigator or responding to formal charges leveled by the State Bar. You cannot make an informed decision without good advice. Call Erin now.