LEGAL EXPERIENCE

THE LAW OFFICES OF LAUREN SANDY, LLC                              2016 – Present

Owner/Managing Partner

 •         Representation of State Troopers Fraternal Association members (New Jersey State Troopers) and members of various local police officers (Policemen’s Benevolent Association members) with respect to pension applications, before pension boards, and appeals of pension board determinations to the Office of Administrative Law and Appellate Division.

 •         Representation of State Troopers Fraternal Association members (New Jersey State Troopers) and members of various local police officers (Policemen’s Benevolent Association members) with respect to grievance arbitrations, Unfair Labor Practice Charges before the Public Employment Relations Commission.

 •         Representation of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, AFT, AFL-CIO labor union in various grievance arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association.

 •         Representation of public sector labor unions in negotiations for collective bargaining agreements and interest arbitration. 

 •         Extensive experience litigating grievance arbitrations and unfair labor practice charges with the Public Employment Relations Commission and the American Arbitration Association on behalf of labor unions and their members. 

 •         Representation of police officers in departmental disciplinary investigations, proceedings, and appeals to the Office of Administrative Law.

 •         Brief writing and oral arguments before the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.

 •         Representation of Clients in Municipal Court matters, including but not limited to, domestic violence charges, DWI charges, minor traffic violations, and municipal ordinance violations.

 •         Drafting Legislative amendments for pension statutes applicable to the State Police Retirement System. (N.J.S.A. 53:5A-10; N.J.S.A. 53:5A-6; N.J.S.A. 53:5A-12)

 LOCCKE, CORREIA, LIMSKY, & BUKOSKY                                        2006 - 2016

Associate Attorney

 •         Representation of public sector labor unions in negotiations for collective bargaining agreements. 

•         Extensive experience litigating grievance arbitrations with the Public Employment Relations Commission and the American Arbitration Association. 

 •         Brief writing and oral arguments before the New Jersey Superior Court in several counties, including Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, and Mercer, as well as before the Appellate Division.

 •         Drafting and submitting briefs to the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

 •         Draft and Filed a Petition for Certification to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the various unions which represent the New Jersey State Troopers appealing the decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court which unconstitutionally denied public employees a contractual right to receive pension contributions by the State.

 BOROUGH OF HALDEON                                                                                     2012 – 2014

Assistant Municipal Prosecutor

 •         Representation of the State of New Jersey in Municipal Court.

 •         Negotiation of plea agreements.

DELAWARE CIVIL CLINIC                                                                                   2006

Volunteer Attorney

 •         Licensed to practice law in Delaware Family Court under Delaware Court Rules prior to the Bar Examination under supervision of Law Professor.

 •         Representation of battered women and children in Delaware Family Court for restraining orders and custody agreements.  

 •         Counseling of victims of domestic violence.

NOTABLE LEGAL DECISIONS

•         Successfully argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court and the New Jersey Appellate Division on behalf of East Rutherford PBA granting deference to an arbitrator's award to interpret contract language. Underlying successful grievance arbitration pertained to a unilateral change in health benefits. (Borough of East Rutherford v. East Rutherford PBA Local 275, 213 N.J. 190).

•         Successfully argued before the Superior Court, Law Division (on remand from the Appellate Division, Docket No.: A-003625-21) and the Civil Service Commission on behalf of Atlantic City Police Lieutenants, which reversed the Commission’s initial decision, finding Atlantic City Lieutenants eligible for the position of Police Captain.  (In the Matters of Donnell Holland, Kevin Fair, and Henry White III, Police Captain (PM4445C), Atlantic City, CSC Docket Nos. 2023-1536, et al., 2023 N.J. CSC LEXIS 176; Atlantic City Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 24 v. City of Atlantic City, et al., ATL-L-2230-18).

•         Successfully argued before the Civil Service Commission on behalf of a A.M.D. who was restored to the list of eligibles for the position of firefighter in the City of Paterson because the City did not meet its burden of proof that A.M.D. was psychologically unfit to perform effectively the duties.  (In the Matter of A.M.D., Fire Fighter (M1863W), City of Paterson, CSC Docket No. 2021-1741, 2022 N.J. CSC LEXIS 22).

•         Successfully argued before the Office of Administrative Law and the Civil Service Commission on remand from the Appellate Division in Matter of Brown, 458 N.J. Super. 284, holding that Officer Brown was improperly bypassed for a promotion to the position of Sergeant in the City of Salem, and ordering his promotion to the next available position of Sergeant, as well as back pay and forward pay at the rank of Sergeant, and attorneys fees. (In the Matter of Robert Brown, Salem City, Police Department, CSC Docket No. 2019-2355; OAL Docket No. CSV 04702-19; 2022 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 66).

•         Successfully argued before the New Jersey Appellate Division on behalf of the New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, the New Jersey State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association, and individual members, to receive full creditable service in the State Police Retirement System for prior service in PFRS and PERS. The Appellate Division found in favor of the Association's statutory interpretation, that transferred time deserves the same treatment as time worked as a State Trooper. (Larosa v. State Police Ret. Sys., 2013 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2377).

•         Successfully argued before the New Jersey Appellate Division on behalf of the Jersey City Police Superior Officers Association (PSOA) in favor of the dismissal of a declaratory judgment in which the City of Jersey City sought to proceed summarily in the Superior Court, Law Division, to resolve grievances filed by Unions. (City of Jersey City v. Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Ass’n, 2013 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1863).

•         Successfully argued before the New Jersey Appellate Division on behalf of the Jersey City Police Superior Officers Association (PSOA) in favor of a final determination of the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), which held that grievances regarding health benefits paid to the City's retired public employees are within the scope of collective negotiations and subject to binding arbitration. (City of Jersey City v. Jersey City Police Superior Officers Ass'n, 2014 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1741)

EDUCATION

Widener University School of Law                                                             J.D. May 2007

New Jersey Bar Exam Date: July 2007                                                  Admitted: December 2007

The Pennsylvania State University                                                              B.A. May 2004

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

BAR ADMISSIONS

State of New Jersey — 2007

United States Supreme Court — 2016

United States Federal Court for the District of New Jersey — 2024

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT                                               

Volunteer mock trial coach for Passaic Valley Regional High School                                         2007 - 2016

Volunteer Mentor for Internship Program Passaic Valley Regional High School                   2011