Kandace Brackins is an Associate with Marks, O’Neill, O’Brien, Doherty & Kelly. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey and the District of Columbia.
Kandace graduated magna cum laude from Oakwood University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-law / Political Science and a minor in Psychology. Upon graduation, she attended the University of Dayton School of law. During law school, Kandace received a Pro Bono award for outstanding volunteer service and was involved in the Black Law Student Association and Child Welfare Association. Kandace also interned for the Honorable Anthony Capizzi in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Division, and the Honorable Alice O. McCollum in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Probate Division.
Prior to joining Mark’s O’Neill, Kandace focused her skills working with various legal service companies on internal employee investigations and litigation matters for pharmaceutical and big tech companies. Kandace has also worked in a boutique family law firm where she assisted clients with complex family law matters and drafted motions and memorandums on behalf of the firm partners.
Additionally, Kandace is proud to have served as a military police sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Kandace’s military service has honed her inclusive leadership and team building skills as well as her ability to multitask and perform well under high-pressure situations.
Since joining Marks O’Neill, Kandace has focused her practice on casualty, employment, and professional liability matters.
Outside of work, Kandace enjoys volunteering, exercising, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Education
Bar Admissions
Practice Areas
Education
Justice Morris Pashman American Inns of Court
Thurgood Marshall School of Law, J.D.
St. Joseph's University
Admitted
Licensed in the State of New Jersey, Federal Court, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and US Supreme Court
Professional Memberships:
Languages
French Creole
Biography
“Everything I do is for my clients. They are real people going through real life situations and they need help.”
As an immigrant to the United States, I went through the legal process of immigration along with my parents at the age of eight – we attended court and I was immediately attracted to the poise and style of the attorneys amidst the chaos of immigration court.
Later, at age 12, I was detained by immigration and separated from my mother in Puerto Rico on a return trip to the United States from Martinique. I was interrogated by immigration officers who threatened to return me to France, my birthplace, without my parents if I did not cooperate.
At such a young age, having experienced the feeling of helplessness without legal guidance, and having recalled my earlier positive impression of attorneys helping others, I devoted myself to pursuing a legal career, so as to represent people who needed a compassionate voice and sound legal guidance through unfamiliar and sometimes life-changing circumstances.
Soon after becoming a lawyer, I sought to join an intimate sized law firm that would provide the opportunity to concentrate on partnering closely with clients. For fourteen years I remained with that firm, gaining valuable legal experience and knowledge that allowed me to flourish in a multidisciplinary legal practice.
In late August 2022, Castor Law LLC was opened to the public prepared to provide "Excellence in Service, Professionalism, with Proven Results."
My practice areas include: Personal Injury; Motor Vehicle Accidents and Injuries; Workers Compensation; Real Estate; Family Law; Divorce; Child Support and Custody; Wills/Probate; Auto Accidents, Slip and Fall, Dog Bites, Workplace Accidents; Estate Planning
I am passionate about forming strong partnerships with my clients to:
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 |
Sabrina Bazelais concentrates her practice in the areas of sports, recreation and entertainment litigation, as well as premises liability.
In addition to her successful track record in litigation, Sabrina possesses extensive experience in the drafting and review of contracts, deeds, residential leases and indemnification agreements. She has effectively represented clients in Landlord-Tenant trials and unemployment insurance appeals, skillfully employing her negotiation prowess to secure favorable settlement agreements and facilitate smooth residential closings.
Prior to joining the firm, Sabrina served as an associate for a prominent civil litigation firm where she honed her legal skills. Her exceptional abilities were further nurtured during her tenure as a law clerk to the esteemed Honorable Terrence R. Cook, P.J. Cr., serving at the prestigious Burlington County Superior Court. She also gained invaluable experience as a law clerk at a respected civil litigation firm in New Jersey.
Sabrina earned her J.D. from Rutgers Law School where she actively participated as a board member in both the Association of Black Law Students and the Entertainment & Sports Law Society. Furthermore, she contributed to the International Law and Human Rights Journal, as well as the Intellectual Property Clinic where she negotiated copyright licenses and filed trademark applications on behalf of her clients. Her commitment to community engagement is evident through her involvement in the Minority Student Program and her participation as a student volunteer for Street Law.
Sabrina holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University, magna cum laude, where she double majored in Geography and minored in French.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Sabrina enjoys a passion for music, particularly as an accomplished violist and dedicated music enthusiast.