Lisa F. Chrystal, retired Superior Court judge, of Brach Eichler in Roseland, New Jersey. Courtesy photo

Chrystal Launches ADR Practice at Brach Eichler

Brach Eichler in Roseland announced the hire of Lisa F. Chrystal, a retired Superior Court judge, to launch the firm's alternative dispute resolution practice. Chrystal sat on the bench for 22 years. She concentrates on ADR, mediation and arbitration, and discovery management. She focuses on all family law-related matters, including custody disputes. Chrystal said in a statement: "I am excited to begin this new phase of my career at Brach Eichler and proud to be joining a team of attorneys distinguished by their powerful and unwaveringly professional advocacy for their clients. I look forward to collaborating with the trial and appellate teams, and to launch the firm's alternative dispute resolution practice." Managing partner John D. Fanburg in a statement called ADR "an important area of growth" for Brach Eichler. "We are fortunate to be joined by such an esteemed jurist and mediator as Judge Chrystal who is uniquely qualified … to advise clients on both trial strategy and appellate issues in order to facilitate the resolution of complex disputes." Chrystal was the presiding Family Part judge in Union County from 2014 until her retirement in 2022. She presided over matrimonial, domestic violence, non-dissolution, and children in court cases, including child abuse, neglect, and termination of parental rights. She also served in the civil and chancery courts during her time on the bench. Prior to her appointment, Chrystal was in private practice in Union County and Essex County, concentrating on civil litigation, chancery practice, tort claims, and guardianship matters. Chrystal was a master of the Richard J. Hughes American Inn of Court and is a member of the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association, among other organizations. She graduated from Syracuse University and Seton Hall University School of Law. In April 2022, Chrystal received the William J McCloud Award from the Union County Bar Association for her work in family court.

Pashman Stein Announces Fellowship

CJ Griffin, with Pashman. Photo: Carmen Natale/ALM

Pashman Stein Walder Hayden of Hackensack announced that it will launch the Stein Public Interest Fellowship program through its Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center and is accepting applications for an inaugural term in the fall of this year. The position is full time for a two-year term, with the possibility of employment with the law firm as an associate after that term, the announcement said. The center's director, CJ Griffin, said in a statement: "The fellowship is intended for attorneys less than five years out of law school, and preference will be given to applicants who have at least one year of litigation experience, in addition to having completed judicial clerkships or public-interest fellowships. Candidates should have excellent research and

Michael Stein of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. Courtesy photo