Jacqueline M. O'Donnell graduated from the Honors Program at the University of Scranton in 1987, with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. She thereafter attended Seton Hall Law School full time, while also working at law firms and the Newark office of the Public Defender. While at the Public Defender’s Office, she was appointed Director of the Juvenile Justice clinic and was responsible for handling all of the bail hearings in the criminal courts. After law school, she continued with the Adult Division of the Newark Public Defender’s Office, and also worked for various prestigious firms in Essex, Bergen and Morris Counties, practicing medical malpractice, personal injury and insurance defense work.
In 1993, Ms. O’Donnell opened her law firm known as Jacqueline M. O'Donnell, Attorney at Law in the Sparta Theatre Centre. In 1995, her firm became known as O'Donnell & Dumbroff, until 2014 when it was renamed O'Donnell Law Firm LLC. With Ms. O'Donnell at the helm, this law firm continues to thrive and enjoy a successful reputation based on 32 years of loyal clients throughout the state.
Ms. O'Donnell was sworn in as President of the Sussex County Bar Association in 2001. After September 11, 2001, she worked tirelessly on behalf of Trial Lawyers Care, which was created to deliver free legal representation to 9/11 families. Trial Lawyers Care became the largest, most successful single pro bono legal representation project in the history of American jurisprudence. Driven by a national tragedy of unprecedented dimensions and by the simple desire to help that had brought them into their profession in the first place, more than 1000 trial lawyers provided free legal services to the victims of the terrorist attacks. Ms. O’Donnell was one of them; assisting three families of victims here in Sussex County from that horrific event. Ms. O’Donnell was also frequently located at Liberty State Park offering free legal advice in the trailers located there.
Showing dedication to the practice of law and compassion for her fellow attorneys, Ms. O’Donnell acquired the practice of another local attorney when he was deployed to Iraq. All the monies earned on those cases went directly to his family.
Ms. O’Donnell’s integrity, professionalism, and strong core ethics make her stand out among her peers. She is highly regarded. O'Donnell Law Firm concentrates on personal injury, car accidents, traumatic brain injuries, criminal law, motor vehicle offenses, and municipal court law.
As an integral part of the community, Ms. O'Donnell believes strongly in supporting agencies and organizations which serve the less fortunate. Consistent with that philosophy, she is an active member of the Sparta VFW Post 7248, Saint Kateri Parish, Project Self Sufficiency and has received numerous awards and recognition for her pro Bono work with Legal Services and Domestic Abuse Services (DASI) during her 32 years of practice.