Kathleen McLaughlin

“Firefighters never die, they just burn forever in the hearts of the people whose lives they saved.“

In Memory of
Captain John J. McLaughlin

Devoted to Public Service 

Kathleen McLaughlin learned the importance of commitment to the community from her father, Captain John “Jack” McLaughlin, a Linden, New Jersey firefighter, her compassion for others from her mother, Mildred “Mimi” McLaughlin and her love for caring for others from her grandmother, Mary “Jean” McLaughlin, who was also a nurse.

Once You’re a Nurse, You Can do Anything

In her 25 years as an Emergency Room nurse at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City, Kathleen treated thousands of adult and pediatric patients with serious injuries and illnesses, including those victims of the AIDS pandemic, 1993 World Trade Center and 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Kathleen worked her way through law school by working 24 hour weekends in the Emergency Room. She received her Juris Doctor degree from the City University of New York School of Law and is admitted to the New Jersey and New York State Bar. She is a member of the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, New Jersey Association for Justice, Monmouth County Bar Association, The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) and the Sigma Theta Tau international honor society of nurses.

Kathleen received her clinical nurses’ training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. She holds double Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Care Administration and Business Administration from St. Peter’s University and her Nursing, degree from Villanova University. 

Kathleen founded her law firm in 2002 and has been in practice for over 20 years. During this time she has also served as a per diem attorney for the Monmouth and Ocean County Public Defender and provided pro bono representation with Monmouth County Legal Aid. 

*Kathleen continues to practice nursing when her schedule allows and has built her law practice on the ethics and resilience she learned and relied on as a nurse. 

In Memory of Mary L. Mathews, RN – Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center