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Hinkle, Fingles & Prior Attorney Biographies

Attorneys at Hinkle, Fingles & Prior have more than seventy years of combined experience providing expert counsel and legal services to families of people with disabilities and seniors. The firm's attorneys have argued many of the precedent setting cases affecting people with disabilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

 

Herbert D. Hinkle has represented people with disabilities and the elderly continuously since 1974. He served as Director of the New Jersey Division of Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled for 10 years. Mr. Hinkle has served on the Board of Directors for a variety of non-profit organizations, including United Cerebral Palsy Associations, the Arc of New Jersey, COSAC, Easter Seals, the Alzheimer's Association and NAMI NJ. He has argued precedent-setting disability rights cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including five cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court. His work has been citied in the Wall Street Journal. He holds a JD from Rutgers University and a L.L.M. in Taxation from Temple University. He is a member of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bar, the Association of American Trial Lawyers, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He has been a consultant to Rutgers University's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the New Jersey Commission on Bioethics and is a widely published author and lecturer. Mr. Hinkle is also an adjunct professor of law at Rutgers Law School, Camden, where he teaches trusts and estate planning.

Ira M. Fingles has devoted his legal career to the representation of individuals with disabilities and their families. His motivation to enter this field stemmed from his experiences with his sister, who has multiple disabilities. He has provided legal representation to individuals with disabilities in a variety of areas, including educational rights for children with disabilities, benefits and services for adults with disabilities, guardianship, and estate planning. He has argued precedent-setting cases in federal and state court, and before administrative agencies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He has written extensively on topics related to disability law and has presented to disability groups across the nation. Ira is Immediate Past President of the Autism Society of America - Greater Philadelphia Chapter, and is a member of the Penn Autism Network Advisory Committee. He received his JD from Temple University School of Law and is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars.
S. Paul Prior has spent his legal career representing people with disabilities. As the younger brother of a man with autism, he has a life-long commitment to disability law. His legal work has focused on special education, guardianship, financial entitlements, and access to appropriate services. A substantial part of his practice is devoted to assisting families in estate and trust matters. He has successfully argued leading cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as other state and federal courts. He served as a federal monitor overseeing conditions at state-operated institutions. He holds a JD from Seton Hall University School of Law, and serves on the board of directors of for the Arc of New Jersey, Autism New Jersey (formerly COSAC), Special Olympics New Jersey and the Eden Foundation. He is a member of the Elder Law Section of the New Jersey Bar Association. He writes and lectures frequently on topics concerning the law and disability as well as issues affecting siblings.

Hillary D. Freeman is deeply committed to her work representing people with disabilities and their families. As the sister of a man with autism, she is able to combine personal experience with her legal training to help families advocate for services and supports. She has experience before Administrative agencies and Superior Court in special education issues, higher education issues including accommodations on high stakes testing and graduate school admissions tests, Section 504, guardianship and adult services. She is a member of the American Association for Trial Attorneys, the International Dyslexia Association and Autism New Jersey. She serves on the Professional Advisory Board of the Learning Disabilities Association of New Jersey, and was appointed to the Board of Trustees of ASCEND, the Asperger & Autism Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. She is also a member of the Elder and Disability Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. She holds a JD from Widener University School of Law and is licensed to practice in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Evelina E.G. Padilla is dedicated to providing legal representation to persons with disabilities and their families. She has experience in special education, children’s issues, public entitlements and a broad range of administrative issues. For two years, she served as a law clerk for the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law.

She served as a clinical law student at the Rutgers Newark Special Education Clinic. As a Governor’s Executive Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, she worked at the New Jersey Department of Education, Legislative Services, reviewing and monitoring legislation. She holds a JD from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark. She is a member of the New Jersey, New York and Florida bars. She is proficient in Spanish.



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Giving Back to the Community

In addition to donating time to local groups and organizations throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Hinkle, Fingles & Prior supports the work of several statewide not-for-profit organizations.

The attorneys helped COSAC, The New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community, launch the Autism New Jersey Foundation. They are proud to be charter supporters of that foundation.

The firm supports Special Olympics New Jersey as a bronze level sponsor.

The firm is proud to support the work of the Arc of New Jersey as an annual sponsor of their Walkathon.

The attorneys regularly provide speaking and workshop services at no charge to parents, family groups and organizations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Click here to learn more about speaker and workshop services we offer.

 

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