Melanie Szuba Appleby

I have been fortunate to have a legal career which has provided me with unique opportunities and diverse experiences in law, government and the judiciary. When seeking a lawyer, a client needs to know that their lawyer not only has legal expertise, but is someone who understands and appreciates real life problems and practicalities. My experiences allow me to give that type of representation. As your attorney, your problem will become my problem. I will commit my energies and skills to resolving your legal issues, at the high level clients expect from CLDDS.

Armed with a degree in biochemistry and a few years of working in a chemistry lab under my belt, I entered Rutgers Law School. Upon earning my law degree, I was fortunate enough to be the law clerk for the Honorable James M. Havey, P.J.A.D., one of New Jersey’s most esteemed jurists. After a stint in insurance defense, I joined Gilmore and Monahan, P.A., as a local government attorney. As Airport Counsel to the Atlantic City International Airport, an entity within the South Jersey Transportation Authority, I was responsible for independently negotiating leases with vendors and tenants, as well as negotiating the design build contract for the parking garage at the airport. In addition, I represented numerous local government entities, serving as Municipal Attorney for Stafford Township, Little Egg Harbor Township, Jackson Township and Lavallette Borough. When both Jackson Township and Toms River Township needed to overhaul their municipal codes, I crafted the recodifications, including land use and zoning ordinances, for adoption by the respective governing bodies. After reaching the requisite level of experience and passing exacting standards, I earned a Diplomate in New Jersey Municipal Law and the designation of Fellow from the International Municipal Lawyers Association.

In 2007, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of public service when I became the first woman elected in Toms River as a Council Member-At-Large in the newly formed Mayor-Council form of government. My service was recognized when I received the Governor Whitman Excellence in Public Service designation. In 2011, my public service continued at a different level, when I was appointed to serve as a Superior Court Judge in Ocean County. After serving as a Judge for over five years, in the Chancery Division, Family Part as well as in the Criminal Division, I have returned to private practice, committed to applying the diverse knowledge and experience I have garnered, to best serve clients at CLDDS.