Laura C. Sutnick is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney with a demonstrated track record of success. She is a former prosecutor and the founding member of Sutnick and Sutnick, LLC, a boutique criminal defense law firm established in 2002 in Hackensack, New Jersey.
She is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney and has tried many high-profile cases that have received extensive media attention.
A seasoned lawyer, Ms. Sutnick handles a wide range of criminal cases, including those involving domestic violence, drug charges, DWI/DUI, juvenile offenses, sex crimes, violent crimes, shoplifting and theft. Ms. Sutnick represents clients at all levels of the New Jersey Court system, including the Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court, where she has been a part of and argued precedential cases leading to published opinions.
Laura has also represented clients before the executive branch of the government. In 2015, in a high-stakes prosecution, Laura represented a Marine sergeant who was arrested and charged with a crime. After advocating before the Pardon and Clemency Advisory Board, Laura obtained a rare executive pardon from then Governor Christopher Christie.
Laura is a leader in the legal community and was proud to serve as the 126 President of the Bergen County Bar Association. She has been a member of the Association for over 25 years and served on the Executive Board, as a Trustee, and as Committee Co-Chair of the Criminal Law and Municipal Court Committees. Laura is a frequent lecturer at legal education seminars
Laura currently serves as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School where she teaches Persuasion and Advocacy. She also volunteers annually at the law school’s Denis F. McLaughlin Advanced Trial Advocacy Workshop. Previously, she taught at Cardozo School of Law’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, which was established by renowned trial attorney Barry Scheck, Esq.
In 2023, Laura was invited by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice. On that committee, she worked with statewide leaders including New Jersey’s Attorney General, Public Defender, members of the judiciary and numerous private and law enforcement agencies to assess the progress of Criminal Justice Reform. That committee’s report was published and provided additional guidance to further improve our criminal justice system.
Laura is often interviewed as a legal expert by various media outlets. She has appeared as a frequent legal commentator on Court TV where she offered her specialized insight on legal issues and cases of note. She has also been interviewed by Telemundo Television to provide her legal opinion.
Furthermore, Laura authored a chapter in a legal publication entitled “Litigation Strategies for Internet Pornography Cases” where she shared her insights for defending such highly-specialized matters.
After graduating with honors from Boston University, Laura earned a law degree from Cardozo School of Law. Following law school, Laura began her legal career as an assistant district attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York. During her 7-year tenure, Laura tried many serious felony cases, including homicides, sex crimes and armed robberies. She was promoted to senior trial attorney and worked in the Homicide Grand Jury, Investigations and Felony Trial Bureaus.
To Laura, the practice of law is very personal. She recognizes that every client needs an individualized defense based on their own personal circumstances and the specific facts of their case. She is a zealous litigator who understands that honesty with clients and collegiality with colleagues and the Court are hallmarks of effective advocacy.
Ms. Sutnick is proficient in Spanish, allowing her to communicate with a greater number of clients.
Published Works
• Inside the Minds: Key Principles of Defending Internet Pornography Charges, Aspatore, 2012
Classes/Seminars
• Adjunct Professor, Seton Hall Law School, Persuasion and Advocacy, 2023 to Present
• Speaker, A Conversation About Hot Topics in Criminal Law, Bergen County Bar Association, 2022
• Moderator: A View from the Municipal Court Bench, Bergen County Bar Association, 2021
• Moderator: Extreme Risk Protective Orders (ERPO), Bergen County Bar Association, 2020
• Speaker: Understanding and Managing Traumatized Clients: Women Lawyers in Bergen, 2019
• Moderator: Introduction to Municipal Court Practice, Bergen County Bar Association, 2017
• Speaker: Sentencing Enhancements, No Early Release Act, New Jersey Association for Justice, 2017
• Moderator: Sex Crimes: Megan’s Law Registration and Parole Supervision for Life, Bergen County Bar Association, 2016
• Trial Skills Advisor, Cardozo Law School Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, 1995 to 2015
• Moderator: Motor Vehicle Commission Seminar, Bergen County Bar Association, 2015
• Moderator: The Ins and Outs of the Municipal Court Conditional Dismissal, Bergen County Bar Association, 2014
• Moderator: Drug Crimes: The Beginning, Middle & End, Bergen County Bar Association, 2013
• Speaker, Defending Child Sexual Abuse Cases, Criminal Courts Bar Association of Nassau County, Inc., 2013
• Moderator: Electronic Information in Criminal Proceedings, Bergen County Bar Association, 2013
• Moderator: Alternatives to Incarceration, Bergen County Bar Association, 2012
• Moderator: Ethics for Attorneys Practicing Criminal and Municipal Court Law, Bergen County Bar Association, 2011
• Moderator: The Realities of Megan’s Law Registration and Parole Supervision for Life, Bergen County Bar Association, 2011
Honors and Awards
• Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney
• Laura Sutnick has been selected as one of New Jersey’s Top 50 Women and Top 100 Attorneys by Super Lawyers Magazine
Past Employment Positions
• Kings County District Attorney's Office, Senior Trial Attorney, 1993 to 1999
• Law Offices of Laura C. Sutnick, Solo Practitioner, 1999 to 2002
Pro Bono Activities
• Trial Skills Advisor, Denis F. McLaughlin Advanced Trial Advocacy Workshop, Seton Hall University School of Law, 2023 to present
• Mock Trial Coach, Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition, 2012 to 2021
• Mock Trial Advisor, Youth Peer Mentoring Program, Mount Olive Baptist Church, 2009 to 2011
Professional Associations and Memberships
• Bergen County Bar Association, Executive Board, 2019 to Present
• Bergen County Bar Association, Trustee, 2014 to 2018
• Bergen County Bar Association, Bench Bar Committee, 2000 to Present
• Bergen County Bar Association, Co-Chair: Municipal Court Committee, 2000 to 2019
• Bergen County Bar Association, Co-Chair: Criminal Practice Committee, 2015 to 2022
• Bergen County Bar Association, Chair: Judicial Selection and Prosecutorial Appointments committee, 2018 to Present
• Bergen County Bar Association, Member, 1999 to Present
• New Jersey Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, 2012 to Present
• New Jersey State Bar Association, 2012 to Present
