About Maria Noto

Maria Noto is certified by the N.J. Supreme Court as a criminal trial attorney. Maria has been named a Super Lawyer by N.J. Monthly every year from 2005 to the present and, in 2005, was also named by N.J. Monthly as one of the top 50 female lawyers. She has also been recognized by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in New Jersey.

Maria attended Seton Hall Law School and while she was in law school worked as a law clerk for the Essex county Prosecutor’s Office. That experience has proven to be an invaluable part of Maria’s career as she has truly been able to see both sides of the criminal justice system.

Maria Noto started her legal career as law clerk to the Honorable Thomas F. Shebell, Jr., who was then the Assignment Judge for Monmouth County.
Upon completing her judicial clerkship, Maria started her career as a trial attorney with the Essex County Public Defender’s Office in Newark, New Jersey. As a public defender, Maria started her trial career with a string of victories winning her first 9 cases in a row. Maria tried many cases including ten homicides, eight of which she won. Maria eventually tried over 200 cases and won most of them.

In 1985, Maria was retained to represent one of 21 defendants in the longest federal trial in the history of New Jersey – U.S. v. Accetturo. After a two-year trial, all 21 defendants were found not guilty. That victory has been memorialized by Robert Rudolph in his book, The Boys From New Jersey (How the Mob Beat the Feds) and the movie, “Find Me Guilty.”
In addition to federal cases, Maria also represents people who are accused at both state and municipal levels of the court system and has many satisfied clients from every level of the court system.

Whether it is Federal Court, State Superior Court or Municipal Court, Maria uses her superior legal ability and trial skills to get the best possible result and treats all of her clients with dignity and respect.