The Administrative Practice Group includes eight sections, which account for the representation of a substantial number of New Jersey’s Departments, agencies, entities. The sections are: Community Affairs, State and Elections, Consumer Affairs Counseling, Education and Higher Education, Employment Counseling and Labor, Environmental Permitting & Counseling, Health and Human Services, Law & Public Safety, and Public Utilities. As a result, the Administrative Practice Group is involved in a robust administrative hearing practice as each Department it represents has various licensure, enforcement, and penalty responsibilities that are exercised through administrative hearings. In addition, the Practice Group handles federal and State litigation, including New Jersey Appellate Division and Supreme Court matters. The Practice Group also provides counseling to Boards and Commissions within its represented Departments, agencies, and entities.

The Affirmative Civil Enforcement Practice Group includes nine sections: Civil Rights, Consumer Fraud Prosecution, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, Government & Healthcare Fraud, Labor Enforcement, Professional Boards Prosecution, Securities Fraud Prosecution, and Special Litigation.

These sections bring affirmative enforcement actions and litigation against individuals and entities that have caused harm to the State or its residents. The Sections’ diverse investigations and litigations include matters such as, antitrust, charities fraud, civil rights, consumer protection, data breaches, environmental enforcement, financial fraud, fraud against government, labor enforcement and worker protection, natural resource damages, professional discipline of licensees, redlining, securities fraud, and social media and technology platform accountability.

The Appellate Practice Group is a horizontal practice group that has overall management and supervisory responsibility for all state and federal court appeals throughout the Division. It works in tandem with the leadership in the other practice groups to oversee all appellate filings and appearances and provides policy direction for the Division’s appellate practice.

The DCF Practice Group consists of five sections, which provide representation to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in cases where DCF is seeking supervision of abused and neglected children or is seeking termination of parental rights. DCF DAsG frequently appear in court. This Group also provides representation at the Office of Administrative Law in DCF’s administrative cases, advises various units in DCF on issues such as licensing and employment, and represents DCF in defending the Children’s Rights Inc. lawsuit, among other things. The five sections are organized geographically: DCF Appeals; DCF-Central; DCF Metro; DCF-North; and DCF-South.

The Financial Affairs & State Contracting Practice Group consists of four sections: Banking & Insurance; Transportation, Construction and Condemnation; Treasury – Finance & Benefits; and Treasury, Revenue, Estates and Taxation. The Practice Group provides advice and counsel to the Departments of Banking and Insurance, Transportation and Treasury, and various divisions, agencies, and offices within those departments, as well as to various independent State authorities. Additionally, the Practice Group provides advice and counsel on policy initiatives and supervises the handling of litigation (including administrative law hearings), transactional, public finance, budgetary, and procurement work throughout the Division.

The Litigation Practice Group is comprised of four Sections, which are responsible for defending litigation against the State. The Sections include LPG Appeals, Employment Litigation, Law Enforcement & Corrections, and Tort Litigation & Judiciary. In addition, they provide advice for the handling of litigation throughout the Division.

LPG Appeals

The Litigation Practice Group Appeals Section’s members represent the State and its many departments and agencies, as well as State officials and employees, in nearly all appellate matters that arise from matters handled by the Tort Litigation, Employment Litigation, and Law Enforcement and Corrections sections, as well as appeals arising from final agency decisions issued by the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the New Jersey State Parole Board. These appeals involve a broad spectrum of legal issues, including governmental immunities, liability for allegedly dangerous conditions of public property, constitutional claims advanced under the federal and State constitutions, and claims under New Jersey and federal discrimination statutes. These appeals frequently involve complex, novel issues of considerable public importance.

In addition, the Appeals Section handles matters involving requests for emergent or injunctive relief in non-appeal matters in state and federal court, provides legal advice in response to requests by agencies for guidance, and assists in other special projects and litigations at the request of the Attorney General.

Appellate Section members prepare relevant briefing related to appeals and present oral argument on behalf of their clients, regularly appearing before state and federal appellate courts.

Employment Litigation

Deputies assigned to the Employment Litigation Section (“EL”) defend State agencies and employees in employment cases in State and federal courts throughout New Jersey. Employment litigation covers a variety of claims, including those alleging discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation brought under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, the New Jersey Family Leave Act, and related federal statutes. This includes significant brief writing, motion practice, taking and defending depositions, and working with witnesses and experts.

Law Enforcement & Corrections

Deputies assigned to the Law Enforcement and Corrections (“LEC”) section practice in the U.S. District Court, N.J. Superior Court, Office of Administrative Law, Government Records Council and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. LEC provides primary representation to the Department of Corrections and the Juvenile Justice Commission. Individual and class action civil rights claims include matters such as alleged excessive force, fatal shootings, wrongful arrest, conditions of confinement, and religious, medical and legal access.

 Tort Litigation & Judiciary

The Tort Litigation & Judiciary Section’s members are the defenders of the State and its many departments and agencies, as well as State officials and employees, when sued in any tort (personal injury) lawsuit. They also defend certain sue-and-be-sued governmental entities, , in certain lawsuits. They also represent the State Judiciary, as well as its judges and other employees, in any non-employment lawsuits. Pursuant to Wright v. State, they also defend certain tort claims brought against county prosecutor’s offices and their employees. The Section’s members handle the lawsuits in all stages of litigation, from inception through arbitration and/or trial. As such, they appear regularly before the Law Division and United States District Court throughout the state.

The claims confronted by the Section’s members are similarly diverse. Some examples include: personal injuries ranging up to and including wrongful death and survivorship claims resulting from State vehicle accidents; allegedly dangerous conditions on State roads or other State-owned property; and allegedly negligent acts of State employees.

The Section handles matters that frequently implicate, and often result in, statewide changes or developments in the laws regarding immunity and liability that affect governmental entities and employees as well as private citizens.  Among others, these include the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (Title 59) and the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Act.

The Public Records Advice & Disputes Practice Group has overall management and supervisory responsibility for the handling of public records requests filed with State agencies under the Open Public Records Act. In addition to overseeing the Public Records Advice and Disputes Section, the Practice Group provides direction and policy guidance to Deputy Attorneys General throughout the Division of Law to ensure consistent legal advice and counsel on all issues involving public record requests. The Practice Group also oversees the defense of all public records litigation filed against State agencies in Superior Court and in the Government Records Council.