Officers, Trustees and Young Lawyers Division Executive Board

James B. Seplowitz was born in Manhattan and raised in Westchester County, New York. He has lived and practiced law in Bergen County, New Jersey for the past 22 years.

James graduated magna cum laude from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in History and then earned his law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he served on the Moot Court Honor Society and was a member of the Criminal Defense Clinic, sparking his strong interest in the field of criminal defense work. James also holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.

After he graduated from law school, James had the privilege of becoming the law clerk to the Honorable Donald R. Venezia, J.S.C. in the Criminal Division at the Bergen County Superior Court, where he gained unique insight into New Jersey’s criminal justice system.

Following his clerkship, James worked at the Rem Zeller Law Group for close to a decade, where he obtained vast experience in representing clients accused of crimes and motor vehicle offenses under the mentoring of Joe Rem, an esteemed New Jersey criminal trial attorney and past president of the Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA).

In April 2013, James co-founded the firm of Foy & Seplowitz LLC with his partner, Jason E. Foy, also an esteemed criminal trial attorney and past president of the BCBA. Their firm is focused on criminal law matters in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and New York.

James is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York, the United States District Courts for the District of New Jersey and the Southern District of New York, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Third Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Municipal Court Law Attorney, part of the first class of attorneys in the state to achieve that designation, and he recently passed the exam to become certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney. He has attained the AV Preeminent rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating system on ethical standards and legal ability. He has published several legal articles and given many CLE lectures regarding DWI, criminal law and professional responsibility.

In addition to serving on the Board of the BCBA, James is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDL-NJ), the New York Criminal Bar Association (NYCBA), the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), and is a graduate of the Justice Morris Pashman American Inn of Court. James also served two terms on the District II-B Ethics Committee of the Office of Attorney Ethics from 2015 to 2023, most recently as Chair of the committee.

James has been a dedicated and active member of the BCBA for his entire legal career. He served as President of the Young Lawyers Section for the 2008-2009 term and has been on the Board of Trustees for the past 15 years. He was Co-Chair of the BCBA Criminal Practice Committee from 2008 to 2011, where he was fortunate to work with Jason Foy, ultimately leading to their law partnership. James was Co-Chair of the Municipal Court Practice Committee from 2011 to 2022 and is currently Co-Chair of the Professionalism in the Law Committee.

James is extremely dedicated to his legal career, but he is most proud of his children, Ezra, AJ and Suri, whom he has raised with his amazing wife, P’nina. James and P’nina are also thrilled to welcome the newest member of the family, their daughter-in-law, Leora. When not practicing law or attending BCBA events, James enjoys spending time with his family, reading, biking, hiking, and watching or playing ice hockey.