For CJ Griffin, building a public records practice has required hard work, some good fortune and professional support. After all, not every lawyer’s practice is so devoted to moving the law forward.

“That’s what I’ve done with OPRA in my career—looking for gray areas or unlitigated areas of the law that need to be decided by the court,” said Griffin, a partner at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden in Hackensack who’s developed a reputation as one of the state’s most active Open Public Records Act litigators. “Hopefully these are decided pro-transparency.”