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New Chair, Rajeh A. Saadeh, Focused on Expanding Diversity in the YLD

By NJSBA Staff posted 12-18-2018 11:54 AM

  
The following article was originally published in Dictum, the newsletter of the Young Lawyers Division. To learn more about YLD membership and events, email [email protected].

At its meeting on Oct. 9 of this year, Rajeh A. Saadeh became the new chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD).

Saadeh, who had previously served as the YLD’s chair-elect, assumed the chair role following the resignation of the prior chair, Dana Van Leuven, who resigned upon accepting a position as manager of continuing legal education programming for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE).

Saadeh, a native of Linden, currently runs his own family law and real estate practice, The Law Office of Rajeh A. Saadeh, L.L.C., with offices in Somerville and New York. His practice particularly focuses on complex and high-net-worth divorce and related family law matters.

Prior to private practice, Saadeh clerked for Judge Hany A. Mawla, who is currently a judge of the Appellate Division and previously served as the presiding judge of the family part in the Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren vicinage of the superior court.

When asked why he chose his current areas of practice, Saadeh cited to his clerkship, where he became fascinated with family law, as a driving influence, but also emphasized the importance of being in tune with the legal needs of your personal networks. Regarding why he chose real estate, he said: “Many of my college friends needed [real estate] attorneys for their businesses. So I took my skills, learned the subject area, and began to take real estate litigation matters—and my practice grew.”

Saadeh is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Middle Eastern studies from Rutgers University. Saadeh has been actively involved in the YLD for over seven years, since Sept. 2011. “When clerking, a young lawyer appeared before the judge, and she invited me to attend a YLD meeting; that young lawyer was Dana Van Leuven,” he said. After first getting involved with the YLD, he held various executive committee positions, including Somerset County representative, parliamentarian, and each officer position.

For the past several years, Saadeh has been involved in organizing the YLD tailgate at the Far Hills Race Meeting and the YLD Smoke Out. He said that he particularly enjoys the social events for the YLD: “You meet people [at these events] who are in a similar profession and lead similarly stressful lives, and the social events are a way to unwind with other people who are in a rigorous profession.”

Saadeh will serve as the YLD chair through the spring of 2020. He said that he has promised to continue Van Leuven’s agenda for the remainder of what would have been her term. In addition, Saadeh said, “As far as my term, laying the foundation for the goals I want to achieve starts now. I want to focus on diversity within the YLD and improving our relationships with the diversity bar associations.”

“I would like to consider how to get parts of the bar that do not currently have a presence more involved in the bar,” he added.

Saadeh emphasized that young lawyers in New Jersey should consider getting involved in the YLD because, among other things, the benefits that young lawyers receive, such as continuing legal education opportunities, are well worth the cost of membership.

“Through the YLD, you meet people who have gone through similar things that you have gone through,” he said. “It is a great place to interact with people, and many members develop genuine friendships with people that they have met at YLD events.”

In response to a question about his favorite Supreme Court justice, he said that he admires United States Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, who Saadeh called “ahead of his time.” Saadeh noted that Justice Jackson penned the Court’s opinion in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943), which found, among other things, that a compulsory requirement to salute the flag and pledge allegiance was a violation of the First and 14th Amendments.

In his free time, you might find Saadeh spending time with his two young children or on the basketball court. He is an alumnus of the Linden High School basketball team and has played in a lawyers’ league.

He offered the following advice for young lawyers: “Don’t be afraid; the practice of law is not easy, and it is not supposed to be, but it will get better. If there is something that you need, such as guidance on opening your own practice, navigating a law firm, or ascending the ranks of government, the YLD is here to help.”

This piece was written by Katrina M. Homel, Esq., editor-in-chief of Dictum. She is counsel at the New Jersey School Boards Association.

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