Patricia K. Costello, A.J.S.C. (retired)

The Honorable Patricia Costello joined the firm after serving more than 25 years as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge, including the last decade as the Assignment Judge in Essex County.

Judge Costello concentrates her practice on mediation and arbitration of civil, chancery and matrimonial matters including probate, commercial litigation and labor and employment disputes.

During her tenure as Assignment Judge, Judge Costello had judicial responsibility for all trial courts in the county, in charge of handling the county’s municipal courts and more than 100,000 filings per year. Judge Costello supervised approximately 1,000 employees and managed a $55 million annual budget for the state’s busiest courthouses.

Appointed to the bench in 1989 by then Governor Thomas Kean, Judge Costello spent the first 15 years of her judicial career in Hudson County, serving first in the Criminal Division where she became Presiding Judge, then in the Civil Division where she directly supervised the Special Civil Part. She served also in the Family Division where she again became Presiding Judge. Judge Costello served on and as chair of numerous Supreme Court committees, including vice chair of the Judicial Education Committee.

Prior to her judicial service, Judge Costello was in private practice as a partner in the law firm of McAlevy & Costello where she attained certified criminal trial attorney status in 1986. After law school, Judge Costello clerked for the Honorable Thomas McCole, Hudson County Superior Court.

Judge Costello received her J.D. from Rutgers Law School and her B.A. from Seton Hall University.