James J. McLaughlin, a long time resident of Hopewell Township, departed this life Thursday, April 29, 2010 at Meadow Lakes Health Care Center in Hightstown, New Jersey. He was 81 years old.

Mr. McLaughlin was born in Trenton, New Jersey, the son of George and Jane McLaughlin. A graduate of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he received a B.S. degree from St. Joseph’s College in 1951. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1954.

He was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1955 and was also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

He began his legal career as a Deputy Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. He continued to work in that capacity until 1958 when he became an associate in the law office of Richard J. Hughes, Esquire, who was subsequently, elected Governor of New Jersey and then appointed as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Except for a brief period when he served as secretary to Governor Hughes, Mr. McLaughlin maintained a law practice in Trenton, New Jersey. He was the founding partner of the law firm of McLaughlin and Cooper and his area of specialization was insurance defense law and litigation. He continued to be actively involved in the law firm which bore his name until shortly before his death.

Mr. McLaughlin was an emeritus member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, a member of the Federal Bar Association as well as the Mercer County Bar Association of which he served two terms as president. His professional affiliations included membership in the American Judicature Society, International Association of Defense Counsel and Defense Research Institute.

In August 1973 he was inducted as a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a diplomat in the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He was appointed by Chief Justice Wilentz of the New Jersey Supreme Court to serve as a trustee of the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection and served in that capacity from January 1981 to December of 1985.

For many years Mr. McLaughlin volunteered his time to participate in intensive trial advocacy programs for students at both the Fordham University School of Law and Widener University School of Law. In May 2002 he received a dedicated service award from Widener for his participation in their trial advocacy program.

During his distinguished legal career he was the recipient of awards recognizing his contribution to the legal profession. In 1983 he received the Trial Bar Award for distinguished service in the cause of justice from the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey. In 1988, the Mercer County Bar Association presented him with the Michael J. Nizolek Award for Service to the Bar. In September 2004 he received the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Committee on Professionalism in Law.

In 1996 he was honored by the Civil Trial Bar Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association as the first recipient of the James J. McLaughlin Professionalism Award. He was presented this award in recognition that he demonstrated the highest standard of civility, legal competence and professionalism in the practice of civil trial law and whose example was commended to all who practice before the Bar of the State of New Jersey.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Rheta “Jo” McLaughlin. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Mary Jane Riordan.
He and his wife were communicants at St. George R.C. Church in Titusville, New Jersey where he had served on the Board of Trustees for many years.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday 11am at St. George R.C., 1370 River Road, Titusville, NJ 08560. Burial will be private.
Arrangements under the direction of the M. William Murphy Funeral Home, 935 Parkway Ave., Ewing, NJ. Visit www.murphyfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, in his memory donations may be made to the Given Memorial Library, Tufts Archives, P.O. Box 159, Pinehurst, N.C. 28370.