Willie L. Parker

Willie L. Parker, Of Counsel to the firm, focuses his practice on education & school law, municipal law, labor & employment, and litigation.

Willie has experience representing school boards with education and employment issues including negotiating contracts with teachers’ and administrators’ unions He has conducted successful tenure hearings to discipline or terminate teachers and/or administrators for statutory and/or policy infractions.

In addition to handling employment issues in the education setting, Willie has extensive experience counseling clients and litigating a host of other labor and employment matters. For instance, he has handled claims of sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation and whistleblower (CEPA), FMLA, Title VII, wrongful termination, and discrimination. He also handles employment contract disputes, non-compete claims, and severance agreements.

Willie also has experience drafting wills and trusts, and with complex probate matters. He also represents defendants in state and municipal criminal matters, including drug and weapons offenses, shoplifting, traffic violations and DWI.

Previously serving as the City of Newark’s Corporation Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, Willie managed an office staff of 45 persons, including 38 lawyers and 7 staff employees working in the Municipal Prosecutors Office, Civil Litigation Section, Labor Law Section, and Contracts Section of the Law Department.  Prior to serving the City of Newark, he was an Assistant Essex County Counsel assigned to its Labor & Employment Section.  He was also the First Assistant Township Attorney for the Township of Irvington.

Willie is an Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University where he teaches students about wills, estates, and trusts.  He also served as an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall School of Law where he taught Trial Persuasion and Advocacy.

After law school, Willie served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Nestor F. Guzman, Presiding Superior Court Judge, Family Division in Paterson, New Jersey.

He received his LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple University School of Law, his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, and his B.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Texas.

Willie is admitted to practice in the State of New Jersey, the District Court of New Jersey, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Willie is also Pastor of the Montclair Church of Christ and possess a Master of Biblical Studies from Sunset International Bible Institute.  He also holds a Certification in Theology and Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary where he was also awarded a John R. Engle Fellowship in preaching.