Berckes Appointed to NJSBA Appellate Practice Committee

Berckes Appointed to NJSBA Appellate Practice Committee Kristyl M. Berckes
[Photo credit: Lynn Goodwin.]
Kristyl M. Berckes , an associate at  Norris McLaughlin  in Bridgewater, has been appointed to the New Jersey State Bar Association's Appellate Practice Committee for the 2018-19 term.

Berckes represents clients in matrimonial and family law matters, including divorce and separation, custody, alimony and child support, domestic violence, grandparent visitation, palimony, and domestic partnership.

Berckes recently completed a fellowship with the NJSBA Leadership Academy and is co-chair of the Somerset County Bar Association's Young Lawyer's Division. In 2016, she received the NJSBA Young Lawyer's Division's Professional Achievement Award.

Berckes earned her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and her B.A. from Boston College. She completed her law degree while working as a New Jersey public high school English teacher. After law school, Berckes clerked for Essex County Superior Court Judge James G. Troiano in the Family Part.

Cole Schotz Announces Diversity Scholarship Recipient

Cole Schotz Announces Recipient of 2018 Diversity Scholarship COLE SCHOTZ DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Shown, bottom row from left to right: Cole Schotz attorney Randi Kochman, 2018 Diversity Scholarship winner Sarah Hong, 2013 Diversity Scholarship winner Ilijana Kalezic and Cole Schotz attorney Wendy Berger. Shown, top left: Cole Schotz attorney Edward Sun Kiel, Cole Schotz attorney Joseph Armenti, Cole Schotz attorney Adam Morsy, Cole Schotz Chief Human Resources Officer Gayle Englert and Cole Schotz attorney Emily Park.

Cole Schotz of Hackensack announced Sarah Hong as the recipient of its 2018 diversity scholarship. The award was presented to Hong, a student at Columbia Law School, on Sept. 24. The one-time $5,000 scholarship is presented to a rising second-year, full-time law student. Candidates are considered based on demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession, academic achievement, and involvement in community service, the firm said. Hong graduated from Northwestern University and participated in a research fellowship in China under the U.S. Fulbright Program. In law, her main areas of interest are public defense, human rights, housing/tenants' rights, and public interest law. Wendy Berger, co-chair of the firm's diversity committee, said in a statement that Hong “is a proven leader in promoting diversity, has achieved academic success, and will be a talented attorney. In making our selection, we were particularly impressed with her interest in working with marginalized communities.”