New Cohen Seglias Family Chair Talks Evolving Practice Area

By: Jake Maher

Carolyn Daly spoke with Law360 Pulse about family law, innovations in the field, and her decision to join Cohen Seglias at this stage in her career.

Carolyn stated, “I had been in private practice about 26 years and I started a very small firm, so I didn’t have what I think is a more traditional sort of trajectory, which is, you come out, you get a start in sort of corporate, or government, or a larger firm, and you go from there, and then maybe you move to a smaller firm after that or got out and start your own. I feel like that’s more of the trajectory people follow. But I sort of reached a point where I decided that I had been there, done that, if that makes sense.”

Carolyn is the chair of our new family law practice, based in Newark, New Jersey.

Carolyn stated, “I decided I wanted to be somewhere they didn’t have family but wanted family, which is, I’m sure you’ve noticed, law firms and large firms are not traditionally looking for family. I said to [Cohen Seglias], ‘You realize this is a different type of practice than what the majority of the firm does – you’re ready for that?’ And they were. So I said yes.”

The effects of a long-brewing crisis of a shortage of judges in state courts have started to be felt, as the Supreme Court suspended all matrimonial trials in six counties earlier in the year and warned that more may be necessary unless more judges are added.

Partly as a result of that, clients and attorneys are increasingly exploring alternative dispute resolution (ADR) options like mediation and arbitration to cut through the delay, opening up new and creative opportunities but also challenges.