Bottom photo courtesy Kathleen Reilly
Partners Kathleen Reilly and Lawrence Brady maintain a law practice at the offices of Brady, Brady & Reilly LLC, 377 Kearny Ave
By Anthony Machcinski
Observer Correspondent
There is a difference for people who simply have a job, and those who are passionate about that job. Kearny defense attorney Kathleen Reilly is one of those passionate people.
“I actually have a passion for (being a lawyer),” Reilly said. “I love what I do, I love helping people. I love going to court and interacting with the people in court…We can make a difference in people’s lives.”
Reilly became a lawyer in 1983 when she joined a defense firm in Newark, allowing her to gain all the on-thejob experience she could ever need.
“It was a wonderful training ground,” Reilly recalled. “There were a lot of brilliant lawyers and a lot of great litigators. I had a great opportunity at a young age and got to see great lawyers in action.”
Reilly said that becoming a lawyer was always one of her goals, but added that she never had a reasoning behind it.
“I always wanted to be a lawyer,” Reilly said. “I didn’t know any (growing up). I came from a middle-class family. I thought to myself, ‘That’s what I wanted to do.’”
Reilly would complete her Bachelor’s degree from Rosemont College in Pennsylvania before getting her law degree from Seton Hall University Law School.
In 1998, Reilly started her own firm on Midland Ave. and began what has been over 15 years of service in the Kearny community.
“There is a wonderfully diverse community of people who are in need of good legal advice,” Reilly said. “We have the opportunity to help individuals, which is a really wonderful gift.”
Reilly said that she is happy to serve a “diverse” and rewarding community.
“Most of our clients are local from Harrison, Kearny, East Newark, North Arlington and Belleville and they are ethnically diverse,” Reilly explained.
What Reilly believes separates her current firm, Brady, Brady and Reilly, from other larger firms is the ability to speak to the lawyers one-on one.
“They can go to a big firm and deal with paralegals, or they can come here where they can meet and deal with their lawyer on a daily basis,” Reilly said. “We’re very hands on… We actually go to court and try cases and there’s not a lot of lawyers that do that.
Reilly joined fellow defense attorney Lawrence Brady under the firm Brady, Brady and Reilly in September of 2007, where she remains today.
“I’d love to grow my firm some more,” Reilly said. “The more people we can help the better, the better off people are.”
Reilly credits her passion for her craft as the reason behind the firm’s success.
“I happen to love what I do and I feel very blessed to honor and represent my clients,” Reilly said. “I’m doing this for over 30 years, I have never looked back. I truly feel very best and I have fun doing it.”
Reilly, a mother of three, added that the job has allowed her to spend time with her children.
“It’s enabled me to spend time with (my family) then work full time and split my energies between my family and my career.”
With seven lawyers in her firm, Reilly said the firm handles a wide variety of cases, including workman’s compensation, accidents, real estate and some criminal cases. Reilly said the firm does not do divorce, and that they are “basically trial lawyers.”
For more information about Brady, Brady, and Reilly, visit their website at www.bbr-law.com. To schedule a consultation appointment, call 201- 997-0030 or e-mail the firm via their website.
