- Affordable Housing
- Eminent Domain/Condemnation
- Environmental Due Diligence, Transactional, Redevelopment
- Environmental Litigation
- General Counsel, Special Counsel, Government Procurement and Contract Services
- Housing
- Litigation
- Real Estate and Land Use
- Redevelopment & Long Term Tax Exemption
- Regulatory (Permitting, Waste Management, Water Quality/Supply)
- Site Remediation
- Utilities & Infrastructure
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D.
University of South Carolina, B.A.
Bar Admission
State of New Jersey
State of New York
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. Disitrict Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Memberships
Saint Catherine of Siena School Board member
Lieutenant Governor of Division 7, New Jersey District of Kiwanis International, 2023-2024, 2024-2025
President, Kiwanis Club of Caldwell West Essex, 2022-2023
President-Elect, Kiwanis Club of Caldwell West Essex, 2021
New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness
New Jersey State Bar Association
Hudson County Bar Association
Clifton Road Runners, a USATF-NJ Running Team
Major Joseph Bloomfield Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Honors
Super Lawyers, 2024, 2025
Rising Stars, 2021, 2023
Biography
Jessica CM Almeida’s concentrates her practice in litigation, affordable housing, municipal law, and redevelopment law.
Prior to joining the firm, she practiced for eight years, in the area of land use and associated litigation, redevelopment, and represented municipal utilities. Jessica has briefed and successfully argued matters in the Superior Court, and before the Appellate Division and New Jersey Supreme Court. She participated in Mount Laurel Hearings and was involved in various Affordable Housing matters.
Jessica received her Bachelors of Arts, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina with a major in History and a minor in English. While at Carolina, Jessica was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board National Honor Society, Order of Omega, and served as Secretary of Golden Key International Honor Society. Jessica received the University of South Carolina Outstanding Senior Award for her work on the Panhellenic Counsel and with the Student Government Association.
As an evening student at Seton Hall University School of Law, Jessica served two terms as the Student Bar Association Evening Vice-President. As a member of the Dispute Resolution Society, she was a two-time semi-finalist in the American Bar Association Client Counseling Competition. Jessica was awarded the Appellate Advocacy Best Brief Award and served as a member of the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board. Jessica volunteered as a student mentor and participated in the BP Oil Spill Intersession Course in New Orleans, in order to study the environmental and legal ramifications of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Jessica served as an extern for the Honorable Madeline Cox-Arleo, U.S.D.J.
Following her graduation from Seton Hall University School of Law, cum laude, in May of 2013, Jessica clerked for the Honorable Mary Catherine Cuff, P.J.A.D., during her time as an Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Jessica is currently a member of Committee on Character for the New Jersey State Bar. She was named a Rising Star for 2021 and 2023, and Super Lawyer in 2024. She is a Past Distinguished Club President of the Kiwanis Club of Caldwell-West Essex and currently is serving her second term as a Lieutenant Governor for the New Jersey District of Kiwanis. Jessica is also a member of the New Jersey District Club Building Committee.
News
Balancing State Mandates with Local Character: A Win for Glen Rock
When the Department of Community Affairs (“DCA”) released Fourth Round affordable housing obligations, many established towns like Glen Rock faced a familiar challenge: how to meet ambitious state requirements while preserving the fabric of a close-knit community.
Court Approves Dunellen's Request for Housing Plan Extension Due to Staffing Changes
Our firm recently scored a rare legal victory in New Jersey’s affordable housing compliance process for the Borough of Dunellen. After their municipal planner resigned unexpectedly, the Borough was left without the professional expertise to complete its Housing Element and Fair Share Plan (HEFSP)—a complex, state-mandated document required for compliance with affordable housing regulations.
Court Dismisses Objection to Township's Calculation of Affordable Housing
New Jersey’s affordable housing laws are designed to ensure people of all income levels can access housing in all municipalities throughout the State. But despite this goal, the assigned obligations for units to be constructed over the next ten years, as calculated by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), did not necessarily take into consideration the specific circumstances of a municipality.
Jessica Almeida Re-Elected as Lieutenant Governor for New Jersey District of Kiwanis
Congratulations to our very own Jessica Almeida ! She’s been re-elected as lieutenant governor for the New Jersey District of Kiwanis and will continue to serve on the board for the Caldwell-West Essex chapter.