John J. Harper J.S.C. (Ret.)

John J. Harper, a Certified Mediator by the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, has established a dispute resolution practice concentrating in mediation, arbitration and case management services in Civil and Family Court cases. For over 21 years, he served as a Superior Court Judge and heard cases in the Family, Civil and Criminal Divisions.

Mr. Harper will draw upon his over 20 years of experience as a Judge, his over 20 years experience as a litigator, and his 13 years as a dispute resolver to assist the parties to reach practical and reasonable settlements of their disputes. Before coming to the Bench, Mr. Harper represented labor organizations and later employers in grievance procedures and in disciplinary actions taken under labor agreements and served as an advocate in mediation, fact finding and arbitration matters. Besides his experience an advocate in labor relations, Mr. Harper represented clients in administrative hearings and trials before numerous State and Federal agencies.

At one time, Mr. Harper served as a Deputy Executive Director of the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission where, among other duties, he supervised mediators and conducted administrative hearings. Prior to that, he was House Counsel to the New Jersey State Nurse's Association and Director of its Economic Security Program (a collective bargaining program for Registered Professional Nurses) where he engaged in organizational efforts and represented professional employees in collective bargaining in both the private and public sectors.

In addition to his experience in labor relations and trial advocacy in employment matters, Mr. Harper has represented public and private clients in litigation involving a wide variety of disputes including commercial transactions, real estate matters, personal injury cases, construction disputes, land use issues and disputes involving a variety of property rights. Mr. Harper has appeared at various times in the Chancery Division of the Superior Court on Orders to Show Cause and Injunctions.

Mr. Harper graduated Cum Laude from Rutgers University Newark where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Honorary society and was named a Ford Foundation Scholar in the Federal College Internship Program. Following graduation, he attended Rutgers University School of Law and received his JD in 1966. In 1971, Mr. Harper earned a Masters in Law from New York University School of Law with a concentration in labor matters. While serving as a Judge of the Superior Court, Mr. Harper attended the National Judicial College at Reno, Nevada and was awarded various certificates in Civil, Criminal and Family Law and Alternate Dispute Resolution. Mr. Harper also earned a Diploma of Judicial Skills from the American Academy of Judicial Education in 1993.

Mr. Harper has completed various courses in dispute resolution and has taught the subject of mediation and other forms of dispute resolution to Attorneys and Judges. He has been approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court for mediation and arbitration services under R. 1:40 and has been certified as a Mediator under the Federal Mediation Program of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Mr. Harper has been approved to conduct Mediation in the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of New York for New York County. Mr. Harper accepts cases by direct referral from attorneys as well as cases assigned by the New Jersey Superior Court, the Supreme Court of New York for New York County, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Mr. Harper has been admitted to the Commercial, Employment, Labor and Construction Arbitration Panels of the American Arbitration Association as well as the Mediation Panel of the American Arbitration Association.

Mr. Harper will provide dispute resolution services in a variety of matters including: family law issues, personal injury, medical and legal malpractice cases, employment and labor disputes, LAD and CEPA claims, commercial, real estate and construction cases, land use litigation, environmental cases, estate matters, disputes involving a variety of property rights and other types of complex litigation.

Mr. Harper is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, Washington D.C., and before the District Court of the District of New Jersey and the Supreme Court of the United States.