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22 Paterson Avenue
Midland Park,
New Jersey
07432
Phone: 201-670-0100
Fax: 201-670-4001
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BIOGRAPHY – CHARLES F. RYAN
PERSONAL
Married; Four Children
ACADEMIC
Bachelor of Arts - University of Notre Dame 1971
Law Degree - Rutgers, The State University, Newark Campus 1974
Attended NYU Law School for Post Graduate Courses in Labor Law and Taxation
Attended University of Connecticut Prepaid Legal Course
Guest Lecturer - Montclair State College, on Family Law, four years
Taught – “The Law and You,” Midland Park/Waldwick Adult Education
Lecturer - Bergen County Bar Association Continuing Legal Education courses
Guest Lecturer - Domestic Violence - Rutgers Law School, two years
Certified Civil Mediator
Certified Matrimonial Mediator
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Admitted to the New Jersey Bar 1974; U.S. Dist. Ct. of N.J. 1974; Southern District of N.Y. 1979; Eastern District of N.Y. 1979; U.S. Tax Court 1982
Clerked for the Honorable Roger W. Breslin, Sr. J.S.C. 1974-75
Private practice: 1975-present
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
President - Bergen County Bar Association 2000-2001
Appointee to Bergen County District II Ethics Committee - 1988-92; Chair 1992
Appointee to Bergen County Fee Arbitration Committee - 1981-86; Chair 1986
Co-chair/co-founder of Bergen County Bar Association Obligor Parents Enforcement Committee
Co-chair and co-founder Bergen County Juvenile Court Lawyers Panel
Member - Board of Directors, Bergen County Legal Services 1982-1987
Founder and Coordinator of Lawyers’ Referral Panel for Alternatives to Domestic Violence
Member - Board of Directors for Alternatives to Domestic Violence
Member - Bergen County Domestic Violence Working Group
Co-chair/co-founder Bergen County Domestic Violence Lawyer’s Project (N.J. Bar Foundation Pro Bono Project)
Past editor/contributor Bergen County Bar Association’s Barrister Magazine
Co-Editor – “Hearsay,” Bergen County Bar Association Newsletter, 4 years
Chair - Young Lawyers Section of the Bergen County Bar Association, 1984-85
APPOINTED POSITIONS
Consulting attorney for Alternatives to Domestic Violence, Bergen County Dept. of Human
Services (18 years)
Former Special Litigation Counsel to Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Former Tax Attorney - Borough of Fairview
Commissioner - Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority 1985 - 1989
Prosecutor, Municipal Court - Borough of Park Ridge 1988 - 2002
Former Prosecutor - Dumont, Bogota
Former Public Defender - Fairview, Bogota, Oakland
MILITARY
Three years active duty - United States Marine Corps 1966-1969
Served two years in Vietnam, attaining the rank of Sergeant - Honorable Discharge 1972
CIVIC ACTIVITIES (LEGAL)
Appointed as a Matrimonial Settlement Panelist – 1981 - present
Arbitrator - Bergen County ADR - Negligence Cases 1989 - present
Mediator - Bergen County ADR - Contract cases – 1993 - present
Member General Counsel, New Jersey State Bar Association for 3 years
Liaison to Bergen County Bar Association Board of Trustees 1984
Trustee and Officer of Bergen County Bar Association 1987 - 2001
Advisor, Chair and Founder of Northwest Bergen Explorer Law Post (B.S.A.)
Sponsored by Bergen County Bar Association
Bergen County Bar Association Liaison to Annual Ramapo College/Bergen Record Debate Classic Tournament - Debate judge 14 years
Volunteer for pro-bono appointments to Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court cases involving children of indigent families
Past member, American Trial Lawyers Association
CIVIC ACTIVITIES (LAY)
Director - Midland Park Chamber of Commerce 1986 - 2002
Member - Midland Park/Wyckoff VFW Post 7086(Commander, 1983-1985) 1979 - present
Member - American Legion - Hugh E. Connolly Memorial Post 130, Midland Park 1982 - present
Member - Midland Park Memorial Day Committee - 1980 - present
Master of Ceremonies, Memorial Day Parade & Ceremonies for Midland Park - past 25
years; Wyckoff - past 16 years
Member - Midland Park High School Boosters (President 1991-93) 1989 - 2002
Member - Knights of Columbus
Member - Archdiocesan School Board - Archdiocese of Newark 1991 - 94 (Finance Chair
1993-94)
Former Member - St. Thomas More Interparochial School Home/School Organization
Teacher - CCD, Shrine of St. Joseph, Stirling, New Jersey (1971-72) and Nativity Parish, Midland Park, New Jersey; Preparation of Confirmation Candidates (1991-2001)
Member - Highland School PTA (1992 - 1997)
Member - Midland Park High School PTA (1989-2002)
Coach - Midland Park Soccer 12 years
Coach - Midland Park Little League Baseball 12 years; Division Chief 1 year
Coach - Midland Park Little League Softball 7 years
Coach - Midland Park Girls Basketball 4 years
* Coached 42 teams over 17 year period *
Statistician - Midland Park Junior Football
Member National Organization for Woman 1976 - 2003; past officer of Ridgewood Area Chapter
Past Member – Ambassador’s Committee, Northern New Jersey Commerce & Industry
Association
Past Member - Agency Relations Committee, Executive Committee and Board of Directors,
Northwest Bergen Communities United Way
Past Member - Glen Rock & Passaic Township Chapters of Jaycees
Member/Committee Chair, Midland Park Centennial Committee
HONORS/AWARDS
New Jersey General Assembly Commendation Resolution 1999
Knights of Columbus- Service Award 2001
Gayle Weissman Founders Award, Alternatives to Domestic Violence 1999
Bergen County Bar Foundation Attorney Community Service Award - 1993
Bergen County Legal Services Pro Bono Award - 1987 and 1990
Midland Park Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award - 1996
Midland Park/Wyckoff American Legion Post Legionnaire of the Year - 1994
Outstanding Service as Bergen Utilities Authority for work on Finance and Operating Committees - 1989
Midland Park Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshall - 1992
Letter of Commendation Alternatives to Domestic Violence - 1987
Various Letters of Appreciation from N.J. Supreme Court for work on Ethics, Fee Arbitration and Alternate Dispute Resolution programs
N.J. Battered Women Coalition - 20 year pin and Certificate of Commendation 1999
N.J. State Senate Citation of Commendation 1999
Bergen County Legal Services Certificate of Achievement Juvenile Justice Lawyers Panel 1997
County of Bergen Commendation 1999
Mayor’s Proclamation regarding Veteran’s Plaza Restoration 2003
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
ELECTIVE
Candidate for State Senate, 40th District, 1983 and 1985
Candidate for Mayor, Borough of Midland Park, 1987
District Chair - 40th Legislative District, 1990, 1991
Municipal Chair - Borough of Midland Park 1984 - 1993
County Committee - Midland Park, 1982 - January 2002
BERGEN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
TRUSTEE & OFFICER BERGEN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
President of the Bergen County Bar Association 2000-2001. Active and participating trustee and officer for twenty years. Served on the special election committees for three contested elections of the Bar Association. Served on the by-laws committee, the municipal court committee, family law committee, lawyer referral committee and as trustee liaison to various standing committees. Worked as a member of Bar President John Selser’s committee which filed our Association’s response to the Michaels Committee report on Attorney Ethics. Our position was accepted and followed.
LEGAL SERVICES
Served as the Bar Association’s representative to the Board of Directors of Bergen County Legal Services for several years. During that time was active in the Legal Services Board’s efforts to include more lay members on the Board. Instrumental in developing the Legal Services Board’s annual Pro Bono Award Program, which recognizes the contributions to the public good made by various lawyers and law firms in Bergen County.
ADV LAWYERS REFERRAL PANEL
Founded and served as the coordinator of a lawyers referral panel for Alternatives to Domestic Violence for over 20 years. These are lawyers practicing matrimonial law in the county who have a particular knowledge in the area of domestic violence and are willing to be available on an emergency basis to provide consultation and representation to victims of domestic violence who are clients of Alternatives to Domestic Violence. The attorneys on the panel agreed to take some cases at no fee, some at a reduced fee, as well as accepting referrals on a full fee basis, depending on the client’s ability to pay. The panel carries from six to ten attorneys at any given time who are recruited from various geographic areas in the county. ADV is an agency that is part of the Bergen County Government’s Human Services Department and serves as a counseling center for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. ADV has worked on a number of joint projects with the Bar Association over the years. Was on ADV’s Advisory Board and served as a Special County Counsel for ADV.
YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION
Served as a member of the Young Lawyers Section when it was still a relatively new organization and also served as an officer and as president. During tenure as president, increased membership and participation in dinner programs, worked on good press relations for lawyers and in attracting more young women attorneys to the Young Lawyers Section. With the help of the other officers and members at that time, was able to succeed on all three counts. After serving as president, continued as a speaker at Young Lawyers meetings from time to time and attended their programs when issues of particular interest were being addressed. Women lawyers have not only joined the Young Lawyer Section in greater numbers, but have served as officers and as presidents in recent years.
HEARSAY
Served as one of two co-editors of the Young Lawyer Section’s publication, Hearsay. That newsletter contained quality articles of interest to the entire Bar. Its success helped inspire the Bergen County Bar Association’s own Barrister newspaper, into which Hearsay was later merged. Recruited contributors and articles, edited articles, wrote articles and items and worked on layout. During this same period the format and length of Hearsay was developed and improved.
BARRISTER
Contributed to Barrister in a number of capacities, including feature articles, a Family Law/Around the Courthouse column, the Sports Trivia column now being carried by the Barrister, and as a recruiter of authors and articles. Was associated with Barrister as a staff member, editor, and a Bergen County Bar Association trustee during its growth and development into a high quality magazine publication over recent years.
JUVENILE COURT LAWYERS PANEL (begun with Attorney Bruce Chase)
When Judge John Conte was sitting in Juvenile Court, he approached the Bergen County Bar Association in the hope of providing lawyers at a reduced fee for juvenile defendants coming before the court who faced serious charges but who could not afford, or whose families would not provide them, with counsel. Judge Conte felt strongly that it was important for juvenile offenders facing certain serious charges to be represented. The result was the establishment of a Bergen County Bar Association project known as the Bergen County Juvenile Court Reduced Fee Lawyers Panel. Approximately eight to ten lawyers at a time served on this panel and agreed to take cases for a one-time reduced fee payment. The program continued after Judge Conte rotated to the Family Court and has continued to be used by Judges Escala, Austin, Mecca, Hollenbeck and Roma. It has met with great success in providing juvenile defendants with much needed counsel. The project has since been taken over by the Juvenile Court Committee of the Bergen County Bar Association.
BERGEN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION EXPLORER LAW POST – BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
For many years the Bergen County Bar Association has cosponsored a Law Explorers Post in Hackensack. About 23 years ago, the President of the Bar and the Bar’s executive director asked Charles Ryan to begin another post to cover Northwest Bergen County. He undertook this project and began a Law Explorer’s Post which was quite successful. It provided a look at a legal career for high school and college students between the ages of 14 and 20 - boys and girls. The advisory board for this Post was made up of other Bergen County Bar Association members and Mr. Ryan acted as the advisory board chair for six years and group leader for four years. This particular activity provided the opportunity for the advisory board and attorneys and judges who took part in Explorer Law Post programs to work directly with young people who were interested in the law and the possibility of pursuing a legal career.
BERGEN COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION/RAMAPO COLLEGE/BERGEN RECORD DEBATE CLASSIC
For the past 27 years the Bergen County Bar Association has been partners with Ramapo College and the Bergen Record Newspaper in providing a Debate Classic Tournament for high school debate teams throughout Bergen County. The Tournament is held in the spring each year at Ramapo College. The College serves as host, the Bergen Record sponsors the Tournament and the Bergen County Bar Association provides lawyers and judges to act as Tournament judges. Mr. Ryan acted as the Bar Association’s liaison to this event for 12 years and served as a debate judge for 15 years. He also brought groups of junior high school-aged students to see this debate tournament from time to time in the hopes of generating interest in debating when they went to high school. The Debate subject often centers around a legislative or constitutional law issue. The high level of debate is impressive, as any of the dozens and dozens of member lawyers and judges who have served as debate judges at the tournament can attest. This tournament affords the Bergen County Bar Association the opportunity to be involved with the College, The Record and many area high schools, teachers and students.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PRO BONO LAWYERS PROJECT
Upon request by the Bergen County Bar Association and Alternatives to Domestic Violence, aided in starting a project for providing legal representation to victims of domestic violence. A project of this type had successfully been implemented in Morris County and was funded there by an IOLTA grant. The Bar Association and ADV, working together, applied for and obtained an IOLTA grant for funding. The lawyers were recruited and trained for the project, a manual was published, and the project has now been successfully operating for the better part of 18 years. This project provides pro bono legal representation for victims of domestic violence who cannot afford legal representation or who do not have access to the funds necessary to pay for legal representation. The attorneys represent the Project clients at the final domestic violence hearing only. Some 89 attorneys have volunteered to participate in this program and have received training and the manual provided by the program.
ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAMS
Long supporter of ADR programs in which the Bergen County Bar Association has been involved. These include sitting as an arbitrator in automobile/negligence cases (for which participating attorney/arbitrators are paid a modest fee); participating as a mediator (unpaid) in contract disputes; and serving as a volunteer panelist for the matrimonial Early Settlement Program at the Bergen County courthouse. These ADR programs aid the courts and the public in resolving cases expeditiously and less expensively.
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