Edward T. Kole, a shareholder of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America.

The induction ceremony at which Ed Kole became a Fellow took place on March 3, 2018 before an audience of 700 persons during the recent Induction Ceremony at the 2018 Spring Meeting of the College in Phoenix, Arizona. The meeting had a total attendance of 850.

Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.

Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently about 5,800 members in the United States and Canada, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.

Ed Kole is a member of the Management Committee at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., and Chair of the firm's Commercial Litigation practice. For nearly 30 years, he has been at Wilentz and has practiced commercial litigation in the State and Federal Courts in New Jersey and throughout the United States. He serves as first Vice President of the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey. He is the immediate past chair of the Business and Commercial Litigation Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and previously served as a member of the Appellate Practice Committee and past chair of the Federal Practice and Procedure Committee. He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a member of the Lawyers Advisory Committee for the United StatesDistrict Court of New Jersey. Ed Kole is also a frequent lecturer and author on various facets of business/commercial litigation and federal and state court practice.

About Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A.

Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. is one of the largest law firms in New Jersey, offering legal services to corporate, individual and governmental clients in a wide variety of practice areas. Wilentz lawyers have practiced at the forefront of landmark cases, regulatory matters and high profile projects and transactions since the firm was established by David T. Wilentz, who served as the New Jersey Attorney General from 1934 to 1944. Wilentz is based in Woodbridge and has offices in Eatontown, New York City and Philadelphia. For more information about Wilentz, visit www.wilentz.com.