Therese Cunningham - Toms River, NJ

Judge Therese A. Cunningham, PJ Ch (Ret) is a Rule 1:40 qualified mediator and of counsel to the firm. Judge Cunningham served on the New Jersey Superior Court bench from 2015-2025. During her tenure on the court, she served in the Family, Criminal and Chancery Divisions. For more than five years of her judicial service, Judge Cunningham presided over probate and general equity matters in the Chancery Division. She retired as Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division in 2025. Shortly after retirement, the Ocean County Bar Association presented Judge Cunningham with the James D. Clyne Memorial Award for Excellence in the Administration of Justice.

Judge Cunningham started her legal career as a judicial law clerk in Ocean County during the 1990-91 term. Prior to being appointed to the bench, she gained extensive civil litigation experience while employed with Starkey, Kelly, Blaney & White (1991-1998) and King, Kitrick, Jackson & Troncone (2002-2007). While in private practice, Judge Cunningham honed her ADR skills as a volunteer mediator in Ocean and Monmouth Counties and a UM/UIM arbitrator throughout the state.

In addition to her experience in the private sector, Judge Cunningham also has extensive experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney. She served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (1998-2001) and a Senior Assistant Prosecutor in Ocean County (2007-2015), as well as an Assistant Municipal Public Defender in Brick (2002-2007) and Berkeley (2002-2004) Townships.

Judge Cunningham brings her vast and diverse experience to the firm’s alternate dispute resolution practice and stands ready to assist with the resolution of your matter.