Academics
William Kearns earned his undergraduate degree from Saint Peter’s University and earned his law degree from the Rutgers University School of Law – Newark.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kearns was a founding partner of the Kearns, Reale & Kearns law firm in Willingboro, NJ. He focuses his practice on local government, municipal land use, and business clients. He is General Counsel for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, a Senior Trustee of the New Jersey Institute of Municipal Attorneys and a Past President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association. He is a former Chair of the Local Government Law and the Women's Rights Sections of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
Mr. Kearns is a Past President of the Burlington County Bar Association. He is a Past President and Director Emeritus for Life of the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce. During his career, he has served as the Municipal Attorney for Beverly City, Bordentown Township, Delanco Township, Edgewater Park Township, Florence Township and Willingboro Township. He has served as counsel to various other public bodies. He has held public office as a member of the Willingboro Township Council and as Mayor of Willingboro. In August, 2009 he was appointed as a member of the NJ Governor’s Task Force on Local Government Ethics. He served as Attorney for the Transition Task Force preparing for the consolidation of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township into a single municipality.
Admitted to Practice
Mr. Kearns is admitted to practice before the trial, appellate and Supreme Courts of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
Affiliations
- New Jersey State Bar Association
- Burlington County Bar Association
- New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys
- International Municipal Lawyers Association
Awards and Honors
In accordance with the NJ Supreme Court rules regarding the mentioning of awards in attorney advertising, we do not include this information in our marketing materials. Mr. Kearns has earned the Diplomate in Local Government Law designation from the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys and was one of the original attorneys to earn the designation as a Fellow in Local Government Law from the International Municipal Lawyers Association. He has received the Michael A. Pane Award for high ethical standards enhancing the integrity of local government. He has received both the Fred Stickel Award and the Gordon Griffin Award for excellence in local government law from the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys. He regularly lectures in New Jersey and nationally on local government ethics, public meetings, public records, e-mail and social media and land use issues.
