Former judge joins Newton legal firm

Newton — M. Richard Valenti, Esq., Managing Partner of Morris, Downing and Sherred, LLP, of Newton, has announced that retired judge Karen D. Russell has joined the century plus year old firm and will serve “Of Counsel.” Russell was sworn in as a Judge of the Superior Court in 1984 and became Lead Judge at Sussex County in 1998. She had administrative oversight of facilities, personnel and case management in the Family, Criminal and Law Divisions. Russell coordinated with the Assistant Trial Administrator on issues involving security and safety, managed back-log reduction in Family, Probate, Criminal, Municipal Appeals and Law Division and was a part of the team organization to manage day-to-day activities. Prior to this, she was an Acting Assignment Judge for the Morris/Sussex Vicinage. During her tenure as a judge, she was an instructor on “Effective Case Flow Management” for the National Judicial College, in Reno, Nev., and a member of the Judiciary Strategic Planning Committee. As a Presiding Judge, Civil Part, she implemented differentiated case management, reorganized the Division staff into teams and cross-trained all staff, managed back-log reduction efforts and participated in the Conference of Civil Presiding Judges in the development of “Best Practices.” At Morris, Downing and Sherred, Russell’s practice will focus on arbitration and mediation. Judge Russell was admitted to practice in the State of New Jersey and the U.S. District Court of New Jersey in 1972. She was an Assistant Deputy Public Defender and a former Supervising Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Morris County before engaging in private practice and until she became a Judge of the Superior Court. Professionally, she is a member of the Morris County Bar Association, Sussex County Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges and New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators. Judge Russell earned her B.A. from Wellesley College and her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. Morris, Downing and Sherred, LLP, is located on the square at One Main St., Newton. To learn more about the firm and its attorneys’ specializations, log on to www.mdsfirm.com.