Bio

John Suminski is a graduate of Seton Hall University and University of Notre Dame Law School, where he was a member of the National Moot Court Team and recipient of the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence. He was admitted to the bar of New Jersey and the related federal courts in 1972. From 1972 to 1973 he served as Law Clerk to The Honorable Frederick B. Lacey of the United States District Court, District of New Jersey. Following the federal clerkship, he became an Assistant United States Attorney as a trial attorney for the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office in New Jersey. While there he received the Distinguished Trial Attorney Award from the Attorney General of the United States. Thereafter he was Executive Vice President and General Counsel to the Beneficial Insurance Group. In 1985 he opened his own practice of law and merged it in 1991 with the Firm. Mr. Suminski serves as Attorney for the Township of Chester and the Morris County Park Commission both for many years. As a senior partner in the McElroy Firm, he practices extensively in the area of land use and land use litigations. He has represented numerous applicants and objectors before Planning Board and Zoning Boards of Appeal in Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon Counties. As experienced counsel to Chester Township, and its Board of Health, and the Morris County Park Commission, he handles all land use matters for those entities. His municipal and county representation has given him a wide range of experience as to all aspects of governmental law. He fully understands the proper role of an attorney in advising a board, council, and/or a commission.