In the Spotlight


Thomas P. Scrivo '89

Thomas P. Scrivo '89 to Receive Seton Hall Law's Distinguished Graduate Award at Its 2018 Alumni Gala


Seton Hall Law will honor Thomas P. Scrivo '89 with the Distinguished Graduate Award at its annual Alumni Gala on May 11th.  

He vividly remembers his first days at the Law School: “Seton Hall Law was very welcoming, and I instantly identified with everyone walking the halls,” Scrivo recalls. “I get the same feeling when I come back today;” and he returns frequently, often to meet with Professor Denis McLaughlin’s classes.  Despite the passage of the years, he see current 1Ls and 2Ls as having the same thirst for knowledge he shared with his classmates. “Students today are mirror images of who we were 30 years ago,” he says.

Currently, Scrivo is Managing Partner at O’Toole Scrivo Fernandez Weiner Van Lieu, LLC. This follows a colorful career, some of whose many highlights include most recently serving as Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie and as Chairman of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. It was “especially rewarding to be part of creating jobs in New Jersey,” he says. 

Through his many years of practice, Scrivo most enjoyed the comradery of the New Jersey legal community and the personal relationships he developed, stating, “It has been a continuing joy to try cases and advocate for my clients.”

Having appeared before the New Jersey Supreme Court several times, he says, “there is no greater thrill than arguing before the highest court, the preparation involved, and the respect that the Justices offer the lawyers.”

As for the Distinguished Graduate Award, Scrivo sums it up it in two words -- a “pinnacle honor,” and one that stems from the relationships he built while he was attending Seton Hall Law. “I have such great memories from my time in law school, have stayed connected, and finding ways to give back every year. This is something I couldn’t have dreamed of.”

He reminds young attorneys that the success in the profession is based on the simple mantra, “the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.”