John Paul Velez

John Paul Velez is a Member with the Netcong, New Jersey, the firm of Arbore Velez, LLC. He devotes approximately 80 percent of his practice to criminal defense and the balance to representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. Mr. Velez represents clients from Morris County and throughout Northern New Jersey in matters such as DUI/DWI offenses and other felony and misdemeanor charges.

Mr. Velez completed his undergraduate studies at Montclair State University, graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in political science. He subsequently earned his Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, working with the school's Criminal Justice Clinic as a student attorney. While in law school, Mr. Velez was a research assistant for one of his professors, concentrating on issues related to federal criminal law, and he also received a Merit Fellows Scholarship. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey.

Before joining Arbore Velez, LLC, Mr. Velez served as an assistant deputy public defender with the State of New Jersey Office of the Public Defender. During his tenure, he represented both juveniles and adults from their first court appearance through final resolution, including pre-indictment and post-disposition arguments and filings, in cases ranging from criminal mischief to murder charges.

To stay abreast of current developments in his practice areas, Mr. Velez is an active participant in several professional organizations, including the Morris County Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, and the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey. He is bilingual and is fully proficient in both Spanish and English.