Montgomery Professional Building
2230 Route 206
Belle Mead, NJ 08502
(908) 359-7873
(908) 359-0128 fax
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Bill Singer has been in the private practice of law in Somerset County, New Jersey for 40 years. His practice concentrates on the creation and protection of both traditional and non-traditional families and as counselor to numerous, varied non-profit organizations.
Helping Families
Bill assists families with adoptions and alternate means of family creation, estate and life planning documents such as wills and powers of attorney and other means to protect themselves.
For four decades, Bill has steadfastly worked to extend the rights of lesbian and gay families through use of the legal system and the legislative process. Bill is the creator and chair of the annual LGBT Family Law Institute, a meeting of 125 vetted and experienced practitioners in LGBT family law from throughout the United States and abroad to exchange ideas and strategies and to develop a cadre of attorneys to advance the goals of the LGBT community. |
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In 2005, he won the landmark victory establishing a non-biological mother’s parentage as of birth so that both mothers’ names can be on a New Jersey birth certificate from the moment of birth. He was also the attorney who convinced the New Jersey Department of Health to change its birth certificates for same-sex couples from mother/father to parent/parent.
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Bill has written on these issues in various media. He is co-authoring the amicus brief for the New Jersey Bar Association in the 2010 marriage equality case before the New Jersey Supreme Court. With Deb Guston, Bill wrote “The State of Gay and Lesbian Adoption in New Jersey” in the April 2006 New Jersey Lawyer Magazine. Bill enjoys speaking about LGBT family law to groups both in New Jersey and nationally and is always seeking new venues.
Before the New Jersey Legislature, Bill was the spokesperson for the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition during the campaign to enact New Jersey’s domestic partnership law. He serves on the National Family Law Advisory Council of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys.
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Non-profits
In his representation of non-profit entities, Bill counsels organizations from creation and securing tax exempt status through the ensuing complex of issues they confront as ongoing entities. Bill as expertise in election law issues. He represents trade associations, bar associations, condominium and homeowner associations, foundations, political action committees and social welfare organizations.
He has served as general counsel of the National LGBT Bar Association since its inception in the 1980’s Among other representative non-profit clients are the New Jersey Association for Justice, Inc., New Jersey Sierra Club, American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, George and Helen Segal Foundation, Tomorrows Children Fund, Deep Foundations Institute, Tri-State Automatic Merchandising Council, For this One, Inc. (Haiti) and the Personal Liberty Fund.
Legal and Education Background
Throughout his career, Bill has argued cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court and appellate courts dealing with campaign finance, environmental protection, criminal law and lesbian and gay rights. See list of reported cases in the right margin.
Bill received his undergraduate degree in history with distinction from Rutgers College and his Juris Doctorate degree from Columbia University School of Law.
In the 1970’s, Bill served as State Chair of New Jersey Common Cause and served on its National Governing Board. He was the legislative agent for the New Jersey Environmental Lobby from 1978 to 1981.
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