Jan L. Bernstein

Jan L. Bernstein chairs the firm’s New Jersey Matrimonial and Family Law Practice at Phillips Nizer LLP. She has dedicated her entire career - over four decades - to the successful representation of family law clients and the development of strong client relationships. Jan is renowned for finding creative solutions to complex and novel family law disputes and applies her talents in her roles as mediator and arbitrator.

Jan enjoys representing a wide range of clients, national and international, including high net worth individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs, athletes and performers. While known for her thorough preparation, keen negotiating ability, tenacity and unwavering dedication to her clients as individuals, she is committed to resolving her clients’ disputes as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

She has been recognized in Who’s Who in American Law, is repeatedly appointed by Judges to assist in complicated cases, and is a Member of the New Jersey Bar Association’s Family Law Section.

Over the course of her career, Jan was appointed to five New Jersey Supreme Court Committees. In addition, she served on the Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, is past Chair of the Women’s Rights Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association, was a member of the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Lawyer Magazine and was on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Lawyer newspaper. She has spoken at multiple conferences and seminars on the topics of family law and gender issues. Also, she has authored numerous articles, including New Jersey Family Lawyer, and other publications. One of her articles is cited in NJ Statutes Annotated, entitled “Moving On After Moving In: The Case for Including Unmarried Partners in New Jersey Family Law" and more recently, "Title IX and the Continuing Fight for Gender Equity in Athletics."

Jan is also very involved at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. She was an Associate Trustee of the University, appointed by the University President, to the Board of Athletic Advisors. Currently, she is a member of the Trustee Council of Penn Women. She was Captain of the Varsity tennis team in her sophomore, junior and senior years at the University of Pennsylvania. She was inducted into the University of Pennsylvania Tennis Hall of Fame in its inaugural class, and also was inducted into the Tenafly High School Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2005, having been the leader in establishing girls athletic teams at Tenafly High School in 1973. She received the Fathers Trophy her senior year at the University of Pennsylvania for the Outstanding Female Scholar Athlete of the University.