About Fred L.
Fred L. Schwanwede built his legal foundation at Fordham University, where he earned a B.A., and completed his law degree at Rutgers School of Law–Newark in 1976. Those years set the stage for a long career in New Jersey’s criminal justice system.
He began his public-service work as an assistant prosecutor in Camden County. The courtroom became familiar ground. Over time he advanced to a leadership role in Bergen County, serving as First Assistant Prosecutor. That period placed him in the center of case development, grand jury proceedings and the daily pressures of a county prosecutor’s office.
After decades in public prosecution, Schwanwede transitioned to private practice and counsel roles. He joined Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, PA as Of Counsel. His move did not sever his ties to public life. He retained memberships in several professional groups and continues to engage with peers from across the state.
Schwanwede is a member of the Bergen County Bar Association, the Assistant Prosecutors Association and the National College of District Lawyers. Those affiliations reflect years spent inside county offices and continued contact with prosecutorial colleagues. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and has worked across multiple county offices during his career, including positions tied to communities such as Hackensack, Bridgeton, Freehold, Somers Point, Turnersville, Vineland, Willingboro and Woodstown.
Colleagues describe him as a lawyer who knows how county prosecutors operate. He brings practical trial experience and institutional knowledge to matters that require an understanding of how cases are prepared and prosecuted. That background informs the advice he gives in private practice and the role he plays at his firm.
His career follows a clear arc: formal legal education, hands-on prosecution, then a shift into counsel work that draws on those years in public office. He continues to participate in professional associations tied to county and district prosecutors and to offer counsel in matters that touch on criminal law and trial practice.
He currently practices at Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, PA, providing counsel that draws on his long prosecutorial experience.
