Areas of practice
- Local Government Law
- Land Use
- Real Estate
- Family Law Mediation
- School Law
Certified Legal Specialties
Diplomate in New Jersey Municipal Law
Bar Admissions
New Jersey, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1994
Education
- Rutgers, the State University (Douglass College), B.A. in Biochemistry and Biology, with High Honors, 1986
- Rutgers School of Law, Camden, J.D., 1994; American Jurisprudence award for highest grades in Business Organizations, Product Liability and Moot Court
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Ocean County Bar Association
- New Jersey Bar Association
- New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators
- Lavallette Republican Club
- Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey
- Greater Toms River Kiwanis
- New Jersey Planning Officials, Member and Instructor for training municipal planning board and zoning board of adjustment members
Awards/Honors
- Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Award
- Fellow, International Municipal Lawyers Association
Pro Bono Activities
Counsel to Toms River Homeless and Housing Coalition, a non-profit corporation
Prior experience
- Law Secretary to the Honorable James M. Havey, P.J.A.D.
- Law Office of Stephen E. Gertler, Associate, 1995‑1997
- Gilmore & Monahan, 1997‑2010
- Municipal Attorney for Lavallette, Little Egg Harbor, Stafford, Jackson
- Special Counsel for Brick Twp., Dover (now Toms River)
- Airport Attorney for Atlantic City International Airport (SJTA)
- Councilmember at-large, Toms River Twp., 2008‑2011
- Law Office of Melanie Donohue Appleby, LLC, 2011
- Township Attorney for Little Egg Harbor
- Special Counsel for Jackson
- Property Maintenance Board Attorney/Special Counsel for Brick Twp.
- Superior Court Judge, Ocean Vicinage, appointed 2011, retired October 1, 2016
- Of Counsel, Carluccio, Leone, Dimon, Doyle and Sacks, 2017‑2020