PRACTICE AREAS
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION • ENVIRONMENTAL • REAL ESTATE
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
CANNABIS LAW
OVERVIEW
Jason Holt is a seasoned attorney with more than two decades of experience in local government, municipal corporations, turnaround strategy, litigation and fiscal management. He draws upon his background navigating the political and economic challenges that arise throughout the redevelopment process to assist municipalities and developers in drafting and negotiating redevelopment plans and agreements, as well as Payment in Lieu of Taxes (“PILOT”) agreements, tax appeals and tax exemptions. Further, Jason is a member of the firm’s Cannabis Law team.
Jason was previously with Atlantic City’s Department of Administration, where he originally served as City Solicitor charged with overseeing the municipality’s legal affairs. In 2016, he was selected by the DCA as the city’s Business Administrator to assist in the implementation of the Municipal Stabilization & Recovery Act. In this capacity, he managed the city’s more than $240 million budget and directed it on its course toward revitalization through the negotiation of several hundred million dollars of tax appeals and the effective management of casino closures, fiscal volatility, major bankruptcy matters and an unprecedented drop in its tax base.
In addition, Jason previously served as Corporation Counsel to the City of East Orange, where he oversaw the broad spectrum of the city’s legal affairs – including the introduction of major redevelopment projects, litigation of high-profile lawsuits encompassing employment practices, challenges to municipal legislation, in rem foreclosures and bankruptcy matters. Notably, while serving East Orange, he played a pivotal role as advisor to the city’s Police Department and assisted in the enhancement of policing techniques, which reduced the city’s crime rate to State and national record-breaking levels at the time.
He has held additional high-profile roles within Essex County – including Municipal Court Judge for the City of Orange Township, Deputy Freeholder Counsel to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Director of Affirmative Action for the County of Essex – as well as in Trenton, as Deputy Legislative Counsel to the New Jersey Senate & General Assembly through the Office of Legislative Services.
Jason joined the firm from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (“DCA”), where he reviewed and investigated potential ethics violations associated with local jurisdictions. He also leveraged this deep understanding as an adjunct professor with Thomas Edison State College’s John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, administering a graduate-level course entitled, “Law, Ethics and Decision Making in the Public Sector.” Of note, Jason served as the lead attorney in a seminal case – Patterson v. Cooper, 294 N.J. Super (N.J. Super. 1994) – which helped define notice and quorum parameters of the Open Public Meetings Act.
*Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
HONORS
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Included in ROI-NJ, Influencers: |
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National Bar Assocation, Fred D. Gray Hall of Fame Inductee |
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Included in The National Black Lawyers, Top 100 (2021-2025) |
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Recognized by the Northeast Black Law Students Association |
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Recipient, 20th Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity |
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Included in ROI-NJ, Influencers: |
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Included in New Jersey Law |
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Recipient, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Michael R. Griffinger |
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Recognized by the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Volunteer of |
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Included in ROI-NJ, Influencers: |
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Certificate of Special United States Congressional Recognition |
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Rutgers University, Institute of Continuing Legal Education |
INVOLVEMENT
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CSG Law Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee, |
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Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Board of Trustees |
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NAACP Oranges and Maplewood Chapter, Chair, Legal Redress |
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New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys, Board of |
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New Jersey State League of Municipalities, Associate Legal |
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New Jersey Business & Industry Association, Diversity, |
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Newark YMCA, Diversity & Inclusion Task Force |
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Cornell Real Estate Council |
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New Jersey State Bar Association |
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Garden State Bar Association |
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National Bar Association |
EDUCATION
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Rutgers Law School (J.D.) |
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Cornell University (B.S.) |
ADMISSIONS
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New Jersey |
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U.S. Supreme Court |
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U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit |
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U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey |
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New Jersey State Supreme Court |
NEWSROOM
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New York Times: A Century Later, 17 Wrongly Executed Black |
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Muck Rack: MSNBC – The ReidOut (November 13, 2023) |
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CBS Sunday Morning: U.S. Army corrects miscarriage of justice in |
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New York Times: Army Overturns Convictions of 110 Black Soldiers |
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Volunteer Lawyers for Justice: Meet Our 2024 Gala Pro Bono |
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NJBIZ: Urban Plan offers NJ students immersive opportunity to |
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NJBIA: Revolutionizing the Role of Performing Arts Centers in |
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Law360: NJ Atty Changes History for Wrongly Executed Black |
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New Jersey Law Journal: Q&A: ‘Find a Legal Passion and |
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NJBIA: Implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the |
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Garden State Bar Association & National Bar Association: |
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NJ Chamber of Commerce: DEI Professionals Roundtable (August 17, |
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CSG Law Alert: New Economic Legislation Helps Businesses Expand |
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We’re Not In Kansas Anymore: Understanding the Yellow Brick Road |
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The New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 Explained (December |
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Real Estate NJ: Spotlight on CSG’s Property Taxation & |
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ROI-NJ: Land bank law can help relieve stress on economy hurt by |
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NJ Municipalities Magazine: A Special Report – Tightening Our |
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New Jersey Law Journal: Forging an Innovative Public Safety |
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NJ Municipalities Magazine: The Secrets of a Successful |
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NJ Municipalities Magazine: Civility at Council Meetings – Seven |
