Lawrence M. Lawson
Overview
LAWRENCE M. LAWSON received his undergraduate degree from Bowie State University and his J.D. from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He also attended Norwich University Military College. After law school, Judge Lawson served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas L. Yaccarino, J.S.C.
Judge Lawson engaged in private practice for several years, during which time he served as the Municipal Prosecutor, City of Asbury Park from 1981 to 1986, and Mayor of Neptune Township from 1984 to 1986.
He was appointed as a Superior Court Judge of Monmouth County in 1987 and was assigned to the Civil Division. Shortly thereafter, in March he was assigned to the Criminal Division and in September of that year he was designated as the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. In 1990, Judge Lawson returned to the Civil Division as a trial judge until 1992 when he again returned to the Criminal Division. He served as a trial judge in that division until April of 1993 when he was appointed as the first African American judge to become the Assignment Judge of the Monmouth Vicinage and of the State of New Jersey. He remained as Assignment Judge until he retired on September 1, 2014.
Judge Lawson also serves on the Board of Trustees for Monmouth Medical Center, along with serving on its Medical Executive Committee, Credentials Committee and Surgery Chair Search Committee. Other appointments include the Special Committee on Attorney Ethics and Admissions, the Monmouth Bar Association Courthouse Facilities Committee, Senator Cory Booker’s Judicial Selection Committee, the New Jersey State Bar Association Blue Ribbon Commission on Unmet Legal Needs and Co-Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association's Senior Lawyers Special Committee.
Judge Lawson serves as Ombudsman to the Firm's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.
- Roger M. Yancey Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Jurist from the Garden State Bar Association
- Two time recipient
- Pioneer of Justice, Monmouth Vicinage
- Asbury Park/Neptune NAACP Hall of Fame
- Recognition of Years of Standing for Freedom and Fighting for the Future
- Monmouth Boy's and Girl's Club Hall of Fame
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity - Man of the Year
- Neptune Township Board of Education Hall of Fame
- Distinguished Service Award - NJ ICLE. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE. (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- NJSBA Arthur T. Vanderbilt Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE. (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- New Jersey State Bar Foundation, Medal of Honor, which is the highest award presented by the Foundation, and also received the New Jersey State Bar Arthur T. Vanderbilt Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration 2015). A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- The Greater Long Branch Chapter of the NAACP, President's Achievement Award, 2015
- New Jersey Law Journal's Professional Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- 2017 Bowie State University National Alumni Association Leadership Award. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- Monmouth County Democratic Black Caucus, 2017 Honoring the Dream—Community Service Award
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances
REPORTED DECISIONS:
Reported Decisions where Judge Lawson was Counsel:
- Cuccurullo v. Meskin, 204 N.J. Super. 386 (Law Div. 1985) overruled by Gerzsenyi v. Richardson, 211 N.J. Super. 213 (App. Div. 1986)
- Auto arb. de novo motion
- Petition of Battle, 190 N.J. Super. 232 (App. Div. 1983) aff'd as modified, 96 N.J. 63 (1984)
- Election law
- Borough of Belmar v. Buckley, 187 N.J. Super. 107 (App. Div. 1982)
- Indecent exposure municipal ordinance violation
- Matter of Bennett, 180 N.J. Super. 406 (Ch. Div. 1981)
- Incompetency
Judge Lawson's reported decisions as a Judge:
- Bd. of Fire Comm'rs, Fire Dist. No. 1, Twp. of Millstone v. Cascella, 326 N.J. Super. 142 (Law Div. 1998) aff'd sub nom., 326 N.J. Super. 83 (App. Div. 1999)
- Condemnation
- State v. Bram, 246 N.J. Super. 200 (Law Div. 1990)
- Criminal
- In re N.N., 407 N.J. Super. 30 (Law Div. 2009)
- Megan’s Law
- Stewart v. Planning Bd. of Twp. of Manalapan, 334 N.J. Super. 123 (Law Div. 1999)
- PW
- Benjamin R. Harvey Co. v. Bd. of Educ., Spring Lake Heights Sch. Dist., 358 N.J. Super. 383, (Law Div. 2002)
- OSC Public Bidding
- Eltrym Euneva, LLC v. Keansburg Planning Bd. of Adjustment, 407 N.J. Super. 432 (Law Div. 2008)
- PW
- In re Monday Grand Jury Panel of Monmouth Cnty. Vicinage 9, 405 N.J. Super. 88 (Law Div. 2008)
- Grand Jury
LAWRENCE M. LAWSON received his undergraduate degree from Bowie State University and his J.D. from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He also attended Norwich University Military College. After law school, Judge Lawson served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas L. Yaccarino, J.S.C.
Judge Lawson engaged in private practice for several years, during which time he served as the Municipal Prosecutor, City of Asbury Park from 1981 to 1986, and Mayor of Neptune Township from 1984 to 1986.
He was appointed as a Superior Court Judge of Monmouth County in 1987 and was assigned to the Civil Division. Shortly thereafter, in March he was assigned to the Criminal Division and in September of that year he was designated as the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. In 1990, Judge Lawson returned to the Civil Division as a trial judge until 1992 when he again returned to the Criminal Division. He served as a trial judge in that division until April of 1993 when he was appointed as the first African American judge to become the Assignment Judge of the Monmouth Vicinage and of the State of New Jersey. He remained as Assignment Judge until he retired on September 1, 2014.
Judge Lawson also serves on the Board of Trustees for Monmouth Medical Center, along with serving on its Medical Executive Committee, Credentials Committee and Surgery Chair Search Committee. Other appointments include the Special Committee on Attorney Ethics and Admissions, the Monmouth Bar Association Courthouse Facilities Committee, Senator Cory Booker’s Judicial Selection Committee, the New Jersey State Bar Association Blue Ribbon Commission on Unmet Legal Needs and Co-Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association's Senior Lawyers Special Committee.
Judge Lawson serves as Ombudsman to the Firm's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.
- Roger M. Yancey Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Jurist from the Garden State Bar Association
- Two time recipient
- Pioneer of Justice, Monmouth Vicinage
- Asbury Park/Neptune NAACP Hall of Fame
- Recognition of Years of Standing for Freedom and Fighting for the Future
- Monmouth Boy's and Girl's Club Hall of Fame
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity - Man of the Year
- Neptune Township Board of Education Hall of Fame
- Distinguished Service Award - NJ ICLE. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE. (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- NJSBA Arthur T. Vanderbilt Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE. (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- New Jersey State Bar Foundation, Medal of Honor, which is the highest award presented by the Foundation, and also received the New Jersey State Bar Arthur T. Vanderbilt Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration 2015). A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- The Greater Long Branch Chapter of the NAACP, President's Achievement Award, 2015
- New Jersey Law Journal's Professional Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- 2017 Bowie State University National Alumni Association Leadership Award. A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolade is based can be found HERE (No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court).
- Monmouth County Democratic Black Caucus, 2017 Honoring the Dream—Community Service Award
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances
REPORTED DECISIONS:
Reported Decisions where Judge Lawson was Counsel:
- Cuccurullo v. Meskin, 204 N.J. Super. 386 (Law Div. 1985) overruled by Gerzsenyi v. Richardson, 211 N.J. Super. 213 (App. Div. 1986)
- Auto arb. de novo motion
- Petition of Battle, 190 N.J. Super. 232 (App. Div. 1983) aff'd as modified, 96 N.J. 63 (1984)
- Election law
- Borough of Belmar v. Buckley, 187 N.J. Super. 107 (App. Div. 1982)
- Indecent exposure municipal ordinance violation
- Matter of Bennett, 180 N.J. Super. 406 (Ch. Div. 1981)
- Incompetency
Judge Lawson's reported decisions as a Judge:
- Bd. of Fire Comm'rs, Fire Dist. No. 1, Twp. of Millstone v. Cascella, 326 N.J. Super. 142 (Law Div. 1998) aff'd sub nom., 326 N.J. Super. 83 (App. Div. 1999)
- Condemnation
- State v. Bram, 246 N.J. Super. 200 (Law Div. 1990)
- Criminal
- In re N.N., 407 N.J. Super. 30 (Law Div. 2009)
- Megan’s Law
- Stewart v. Planning Bd. of Twp. of Manalapan, 334 N.J. Super. 123 (Law Div. 1999)
- PW
- Benjamin R. Harvey Co. v. Bd. of Educ., Spring Lake Heights Sch. Dist., 358 N.J. Super. 383, (Law Div. 2002)
- OSC Public Bidding
- Eltrym Euneva, LLC v. Keansburg Planning Bd. of Adjustment, 407 N.J. Super. 432 (Law Div. 2008)
- PW
- In re Monday Grand Jury Panel of Monmouth Cnty. Vicinage 9, 405 N.J. Super. 88 (Law Div. 2008)
- Grand Jury