About Charles Z.
Charles Z. Schalk earned his law degree from Rutgers School of Law–Newark in 1991 after completing a Bachelor of Arts at Rutgers College in 1988. He entered the profession at a time when jury trials and courtroom advocacy remained central to civil practice. Those formative years shaped the next three decades of his work.
He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and is also credentialed before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Those admissions have allowed him to handle matters in both state and federal forums. His standing as a Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, a designation granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court, reflects a formal recognition of trial experience under state standards.
Schalk is a partner at Savo, Schalk, Gillespie, O Grodnick & Fisher, P.A. His career at the firm has been built around litigation. He has been involved in contested matters that proceeded to trial and in dispositive motion practice. He works with clients, fellow counsel and experts to develop case strategy, prepare witnesses and present arguments at key hearings. He also handles pretrial discovery and dispute resolution processes when appropriate.
Outside courtroom work, Schalk participates in a range of professional organizations. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Somerset County Bar Association and the Hunterdon County Bar Association. On the trial side, he holds memberships in Trial Lawyers of New Jersey and the American Trial Lawyers of America, New Jersey. He is also affiliated with both the National Employment Lawyers Association and the National Employment Lawyers of America, New Jersey. Those connections provide him with regular contact with peers who litigate and try complex civil and employment cases.
Colleagues describe him as someone who prioritizes preparation and steady courtroom presentation. He spends time on factual investigation and on framing legal theories that can be tested at trial. He prepares witnesses and seeks to make complex evidence understandable for judges and juries. He also handles appellate filings in cases that require review beyond the trial court.
Clients who come to him typically face contested civil claims, employment disputes or other matters that cannot be resolved by routine negotiation. He combines trial credentials with experience in motion practice and mediation. He continues to serve as a partner at Savo, Schalk, Gillespie, O Grodnick & Fisher, P.A., where his practice centers on civil litigation and employment disputes.
