Professional Excellence comes in many forms, but is undeniable when it presents itself. Here we honor New Jersey attorneys who did exceptional work in 2016, and, in some cases, well before that. New Leaders of the Bar represent the profession's future, but are doing great things already. Lifetime Achievement honorees have sustained excellence over the course of an entire career. Distinguished Leaders are, in many cases, familiar names, but these practitioners don't rest on their laurels; they continue to lead. As for the three Attorney of the Year finalists—the name speaks for itself.

The honorees were kind enough to share some thoughts about their accomplishments and philosophies. We posed what we hoped were thought-provoking questions to them. The responses are as varied as they are intriguting. We hope you'll find these insights as engaging as we have. Given the sources, it's no surprise.

Our panels of distinguished practitioners, along with the editorial staff, worked hard evaluating nominees in two of the four recognition categories. A special thank you the Attorney of the Year Panel:
• Lynda Bennett – Lowenstein Sandler
• Ayesha Hamilton – Hamilton Law Firm
• Ryan Haygood – New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
• Ronald Riccio – McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter
• Peter Spirgel – Flaster/Greenberg