THOMAS ROUGHNEEN, ESQ.

 

 

THOMAS ROUGHNEEN, ESQ.    

 

NOTABLE CREDENTIALS

  • 2014 - Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel - Senior Defense Counsel for RI, CT and NJ Army National Guards
  • 2013 - Adjudicator, Army Physical Evaluation Board 
  • 2012 - Warrior in Transition / Rehabilitated and Found Fit for Duty
  • 2011 - Meritorious Service Medal for advising commanders and leading legal office in Germany
  • 2009 - New Jersey Supreme Court Criminal Trial Attorney Certification
  • 2008 - Top Secret Clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information
     

EDUCATION

Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Masters Internat'al Public Policy, 2007
Defense Language Institute-Presidio, Russian Language Basic Course, 2003
Seton Hall University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1995
Rutgers University, Rutgers College, Bachelor of Arts, History & Political Science, 1991

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

United States Army, Judge Advocate General's Corps, Major, Fort Dix, NJ and Germany November 2009 to May 2012 – Assigned as lead counsel on all courts-martial, including complex GSA fraud, sexual assault and child pornography cases followed by mobilization as “Officer in Charge” of approximately twenty legal personnel in remote, overseas, field office

Law Offices of Timothy R. Smith & Associates, Associate, South Orange, NJ
November 2007 to November 2009 - Served as defense counsel in criminal and administrative matters, primarily as assigned counsel for the members of New Jersey Education Association's and the Policemen Benevolent Association's members

Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Vertical Court Assistant Prosecutor, Newark, NJ September 2000 to November 2007 - Led the effort in New Jersey's largest prosecutor's office’s pilot court to streamline case management and also tried cases involving airport drug-trafficking, wiretap matters, interstate subpoenas, homicides, robberies, sexual assaults and carjackings

Office of Military Commissions, Army Judge Advocate, Washington, DC and Guantanamo (16-month mobilization) April 2006 to September 2007 - Assigned as defense counsel to Salim Hamdan, Osama Bin Laden’s driver; litigated and applied International Humanitarian, International Human Rights Law and military commissions precedent

Operation Iraqi Freedom, United States Army Reserve Civil Affairs Officer, Iraq
(One year mobilization) March 2003 to March 2004 - Immediately after the liberation of Iraq, led a team which worked in Iraq’s fourth largest city and helped establish a democratic government, reopened the courts, and rehired 200 workers for the city's main government office. Also assigned to a Sunni Triangle village and awarded two Bronze Star Medals for the deployment

Durkin & Durkin, LLC, Associate, West Caldwell, NJ (1996 & 2000 - one year total)

Trial counsel in both federal and state courts handling all aspects of criminal and civil litigation. Specifically hired for a five-year-old complex medical malpractice case only five weeks before trial and also assisted in defending a federal official for bribery involving falsified documents

Union County Prosecutor's Office, Assistant Prosecutor, Elizabeth, NJ (1997 - 1999) Performed extensive legal research and writing while handling assorted pretrial motions and appellate briefs and served as trial counsel in cases involving crimes of violence, narcotics and document intensive prosecutions related to welfare fraud and Waterfront Commission offenses

Honorable Edmond Kirby, J.S.C., Civil and Criminal Parts, Clerk, Newark, NJ (1994 - 1995) Drafted bench memoranda and conducted research for the judge for decisions and rulings in motions and trials

United States Federal Judicial Internship Program, Legal Intern, Newark, NJ (1992 - 1993) As a law student, served as a legal intern and wrote draft opinions for the Honorable Alfred Lechner (now retired 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge) and John C. Lifland, U.S.D.C.

RESERVE MILITARY SERVICE  

9/04 to present    

Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Major
New Jersey Army National Guard, Fort Dix, NJ 154th Legal Support Organization, Ft. Belvoir, VA 4th Legal Support Organization, Bronx, NY 

7/01 to 9/04    

U.S. Army Reserve, Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, NC Captain - Civil Affairs Team Leader, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion 

1/88 to 7/01    

New Jersey Army National Guard, 3-112th Field Artillery, Fort Dix, NJ Captain - Battery Commander, Battalion Fire Support Officer
First Lieutenant - Executive Officer
Second Lieutenant - Fire Direction Officer, Company Fire Support Officer. 

9/88 to 5/90    

U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, New Brunswick, NJ Cadet - Simultaneous Membership Program in NJ Army National Guard 

5/88 to 7/88    

U.S. Army Basic Training, Fort Dix, NJ Private 

 

 

The use within this website of any reference to military assignments, rank, positions, titles, organization names, or any other military related reference, does not imply an endorsement, or  imply that DoD or any of its components endorse, sanction, or treat this LLC, or any of its members, in a preferential manner.  Moreover, any views expressed on this website are those of Thomas Roughneen & Associates, Counsellors at Law, LLC, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the New Jersey Army National Guard, the Physical Disability Agency, the Physical Evaluation Board, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.