Joseph R. Donahue

Joseph R. Donahue

4.9
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 34 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Ridgewood, NJ
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Litigation, Domestic Violence

135 Prospect Street, Ridgewood, NJ

About Joseph

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 40%

Criminal defense in all state, federal and municipal courts in New Jersey.

34 years

40%
DUI and DWI 20%

DUI/DWI Defense throughout Bergen County and Northern New Jersey

27 years

20%
Domestic Violence 20%

Temporary and Final Restraining Orders (TRO/FRO)

20%
Litigation 20%

General Civil Litigation

34 years

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in New Jersey for 34 years

State: New Jersey

Acquired: 1990

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Joseph R. Donahue, LLC

135 Prospect Street, Ridgewood, NJ, 07450

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Joseph R. Donahue's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

29 Client Reviews

5 star (28)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (1)

Posted by anonymous | November 11, 2024 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Great lawyer

Mr Donahue gave me the best advice. He was very clear about all the steps and followed up with all details until the end. He saved me from a horrible situation that could have ended really bad for me. I’m grateful & I can’t thank him enough. Highly recommended.

Posted by anonymous | November 11, 2024 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Facing 25 years and life on perole. Received 3 years probation.

I had the privilege of working with Joseph R. Donahue, and I can't speak highly enough about his professionalism, expertise, and dedication to my case. From the very beginning, he took the time to thoroughly explain the legal process and the options available to me. Thanks to his skillful negotiation... and in-depth understanding of the law, he was able to secure an excellent plea deal that far exceeded my expectations. Throughout the entire process, Joseph was responsive, clear, and genuinely committed to achieving the best possible outcome. If you're in need of an experienced and reliable attorney, I highly recommend Joseph R. Donahue! Sincerely grateful Ryan M.

Posted by anonymous | November 6, 2023 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Excellent lawyer

Mr. Donahue was very conscientious and worked extremely hard to reach the goals we set out to achieve. He always made sure to return calls and make himself available. He has a very good grasp of the law and explained it to me in great detail. He was very straight and upfront about everything- he did ...not sugar coat anything and he made sure that I knew exactly what I was getting into. He succeeded in achieving the desired outcome for my case and he was always polite and respectful- to me, the judge, and the opposing party. He paid great attention to detail and nothing slid by him when we were creating an important document. I am forever grateful to him for all he did for me and my family!

Posted by anonymous | July 7, 2022 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Don’t recommend!

Joseph Donohue does not fight for his clients. He did not take my case serious from the very beginning. It was very hard to get in contact with him. I had to call multiple times, multiple days. I had to leave voicemails and text and wait weeks for a reply. While in court he didn’t speak even while th...e other attorney on the line was doing his job very well. At some point I had to unmute my computer and speak for myself. I called him afterwards to express I feel he did not fight for me. First and only thing he said to me was “if you don’t like how I do things feel free to get a new attorney”. He made me feel small. Next time we spoke he told me “the father will eventually get what he wants”. So it showed me he had no hope from the beginning and didn’t intend on even trying. He jeopardized my case. He never apologized. He continued to call to explain himself while never letting me speak and yelling at me and over me. This is the most unprofessional attorney I’ve ever had to deal with. Wouldn’t recommend.

Posted by Beth | September 10, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Representation

Mr. Donahue was simply wonderful. He did a great job throughout the whole process with us and explained each step in detail. We we thankful for having his guidance and support.

See All Client Reviews

Joseph R. Donahue's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Joseph
Joseph Michael Horn headshot
Joseph Horn

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 29

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mr. Donahue is a well respected professional who achieves results for his clients. I've worked on several cases with him and he consistently achieves excellent results for his clients."

Jae Sang Lee headshot
Jae Lee

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 16

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mr. Donahue and I have worked together on a number of Federal and State criminal matters and I can say from personal experience that he is an exceptional attorney. He is my first call when I need to refer a New Jersey criminal case because I respect the debth of his experience and thorough preparation on each matter."

Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Unknown lawyer | Apr 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Benjamin B Choi headshot
Benjamin Choi

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Josh and I worked together for many years when I first became an attorney. He was one of my first mentors. I still turn to him whenever I may need some guidance. I have seen Josh many times in court, with clients, and at his office working. In all that he does, he does it very well. He's a knowledgeable, ethical and compassionate attorney that simply get's the job done. I would gladly endorse him."

Lucia Van Wetering Donahue headshot
Lucia Van Wetering Donahue

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Matthew Thomas Rose headshot
Matthew Rose

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Travis J Tormey headshot
Travis Tormey

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Joe is a top-notch criminal defense lawyer."

James Frederic Fine headshot
James Fine

Criminal defense lawyer | May 16

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have known and worked with Joseph Donahue on a number of cases over the past 8 years. Not only did we try two complex civil jury trials together (the first lasted almost six weeks and the second lasted three weeks) but we have also handled numerous criminal matters together. I have found Mr. Donahue to be an excellent litigator. Mr. Donahue is also a tenacious advocate for his clients who is extremely knowledgeable, well prepared and ethical. I recommend him highly."

View All Endorsements
Joseph Michael Horn headshot
Joseph Horn

Criminal defense lawyer

Louis Michael Diluzio headshot
Louis Diluzio

Litigation lawyer

Jae Sang Lee headshot
Jae Lee

Criminal defense lawyer

Benjamin B Choi headshot
Benjamin Choi

Litigation lawyer

Travis J Tormey headshot
Travis Tormey

DUI and DWI lawyer

Benjamin G Kelsen headshot
Benjamin Kelsen

Criminal defense lawyer

Anthony R Suarez headshot
Anthony Suarez

Unknown lawyer

Lawrence Z Kotler headshot
Lawrence Kotler

Employment and labor lawyer

Gregory Allen Lee headshot
Gregory Lee

Criminal defense lawyer

Michael Angelo Baldassare headshot
Michael Baldassare

Criminal defense lawyer

Alain Leibman headshot
Alain Leibman

White collar crime lawyer

Matthew Thomas Rose headshot
Matthew Rose

Litigation lawyer

Howard Woodley Bailey headshot
Howard Bailey

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2016

Top 100 Trial Lawyers - NJ, The National Trial Lawyers

2016

Super Lawyer - Criminal Defense, Super Lawyers

2016

Special Ethics Master, Supreme Court of New Jersey

2009

Chair, Dist. IIB Attoney Ethics Committee, NJ Office of Attorney Ethics

2008

Certified Criminal Trial Attorney, Supreme Court of New Jersey

N/A

Criminal Trial Attorney, Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court

N/A

FOP Legal Defense Plan Attorney, FOP Legal Defense Plan

N/A

PBA Legal Protection Plan Attorney, PBA Legal Protection Plan

N/A

CJA Panel Attorney, US Ct. of Appeals, Third Circuit

N/A

CJA Panel Attorney, US District Court, District of N.J.

Work Experience

2023 - Present

Owner, Joseph R. Donahue, LLC

2001 - 2023

Owner, Brickfield & Donahue

1999 - 2001

Associate, Reed Smith

1998 - 1999

Associate, Waters McPherson McNeill

1997 - 1998

Assistant Trial Chief, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

1996 - 1997

Chief Criminal Investigations Squad, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

1994 - 1996

Assistant Chief, Criminal Investigations Squad, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

1991 - 1998

Assistant Prosecutor, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

1990 - 1991

Judicial Law Clerk, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey

Associations

2015 - Present

National College of DUI Defense

Member

2010 - Present

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

1998 - Present

Bergen County Bar Association

Member

1998 - Present

Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey

Member

Education

1990

Georgetown University Law Center

JD - Juris Doctor

1987

Boston University

MBA - Master of Business Administration

1981

Georgetown University

BS - Bachelor of Science

Languages

Spanish

Portuguese

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution