Fifty-five years after graduating from law school, Anthony P. Ambrosio ’66 — along with his twin brother Michael P. Ambrosio ’66 — is still hard at work as a lawyer. He has led an extraordinary career in those years, showing dedication and commitment to his work and to the betterment of the legal profession. As a 2021 recipient of the William Callyhan Robinson Alumni Award, Ambrosio looked back on his Catholic Law education and his successful law career.

Ambrosio and his five siblings were born and raised in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. His family valued hard work and education — values that were passed down from his parents. “My father was an immigrant from Italy who came to this country when he was 12 years old. He was a hard worker who, with my mother, raised six children who always stressed education.” His sister attended Teachers College; his eldest brother, John, went to college at night and successfully graduated in seven years; his brother, Gabriel, graduated from Rutgers University and Seton Hall Law School — becoming a successful lawyer and serving five years as a State Senator before passing away in 2013; and his youngest brother is a medical doctor who, with the help of Ambrosio, opened a walk-in medical practice that he’s operated since 1983. The passion for education extends to the larger family as well, and there are close to a dozen lawyers among them.

Originally, Ambrosio intended to become a teacher and spent a year in Teachers College; however, he ultimately found a different calling. “In the turbulent times in the sixties and with the prodding of my father, a career in law offered the opportunity to be an agent of change.” Ambrosio transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University where he studied accounting — acquiring skills that would enhance a law career — and from there went straight onto law school.

At Catholic Law, Ambrosio found mentors who departed both wisdom and practical advice. “We enjoyed law school classes because we had great teachers.” Ambrosio fondly remembered Doc English: “He would advise us to always dress like a lawyer and protect our reputation by never being seen drunk in public or dressed like a slob, to avoid profanity, and to speak out on matters of public interest before municipal councils, planning boards, or in rare cases legislative hearings. He would advise us to get ourselves noticed by running for and serving in public office.” Ambrosio, like many of his peers, also noted Dean Miller’s engaging manner. “Dean Miller was a real character who I can still picture directing the students parking cars on the first day of law school.” He thought of Professors Garvey and Franchino who were effective teachers who clearly wanted students to succeed, and he recalled a hard-earned B+ from Professor Sparks. “I have often throughout my career recited the passage I memorized and wrote on my exam. When asked what an inference was, I wrote: ‘Inferences are the bats of the law twitting in the twilight and disappearing in the sunshine of actual fact.’ He taught us evidence and stressed that you must know all the reasons why a piece of evidence is admissible like the many exceptions to the hearsay rule that he advised we needed to know, and he was right.”

After graduating from law school and serving six months of active duty in the U.S. Army Reserves, Ambrosio took a job as an accountant while also attending NYU Graduate School seeking a master’s in tax law. At the same time, his brother Michael became a staff lawyer with the Newark Legal Services Program. Three months later, Ambrosio left his accounting job and master’s program to take a job in a small private law firm, and six months after that, he went to work for Passaic County Legal Aid Society. When Michael left the Newark Legal Services Program a few years later for a position at Seton Hall Law School, Ambrosio took up the vacated position. “I was employed as a Deputy Director of Ocean-Monmouth Legal Aid Project, I left my job and replaced [Michael] at the Newark Legal Services Project. I simply took over his caseload and nobody seemed to notice any change.”

Ambrosio’s early career was marked by exceptional professional growth. “With little to no experience, we had the opportunity and the challenge to learn how the legal system worked and to get a lot of experience in many facets of the law over a short period of time.” Ambrosio worked on many cases defending tenants from being evicted. Years later, the landmark case, Marini v. Ireland, 56 NJ 130 (1970) was decided and shifted the pendulum away from landlords in favor of tenants. Legal services lawyers played an important role in this change. The enforcement of building code violations and the advent of rent control bettered the lives of many poor tenants. Ambrosio also handled domestic violence cases, divorces, actions for child support, and personal bankruptcies. “Most legal services lawyers left the job after a year or two from burnout. Michael and I each spent five years as legal services lawyers.” When Ambrosio left legal services, he opened a private law practice in Newark, New Jersey, and worked part-time as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of Newark law department. “In five years as a lawyer for the City of Newark, I gained experience in chancery work, litigating negligence cases, appellate work, representing the rent control board, preparing contracts and resolutions for passage by the City Council, and prosecuting drunk driving cases in municipal court.”

Throughout the course of his career, Ambrosio gained experience in multiple areas of the law, served as an expert witness in legal malpractice cases, testified in trials, and served as a member of several charity committees and boards. With a full schedule, it has been important for him to find balance. “I have always worked hard and played hard.” Ambrosio has been an avid golfer for 63 years, held season tickets to the Metropolitan Opera which he attended with his wife for over 20 years, and has played weekly poker games at his country club for over 35 years. In each of these activities, he has created what he referred to as “circles of joy” for himself.

When asked if he had any advice to share with young lawyers, he cited the importance of gaining experience, knowing your craft, adhering to the rules, and knowing which cases to take and which ones not to. He concluded, “I often act as a mentor to young lawyers and invite them to call me when they need help.”