About Joanna R.
Joanna R. Adu trained on the West Coast before establishing a practice in New Jersey. She earned a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in 2016 after completing a B.S. in political science at the University of Washington in 2006. Her academic path combined study of institutions and procedure with practical classroom work, laying a foundation for both litigation and appellate practice.
Early in her legal career she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Susan L. Reisner, P.J.A.D. The clerkship placed her inside the appellate process and the day-to-day workings of the judiciary. That experience gave her direct exposure to legal research, opinion drafting and the mechanics of appellate review.
After her clerkship she moved into private practice. In 2018 she joined Lyons & Associates, P.C. There she took on responsibilities typical of a small-firm lawyer: counseling clients, preparing pleadings and handling hearings. Those years solidified her courtroom experience and her understanding of case management in contested matters.
Outside the office, Adu maintains professional connections through several bar organizations. She holds memberships in the American Bar Association, the Asian Pacific Lawyers Association of New Jersey and the Garden State Bar Association. Those ties keep her engaged with peers across practice areas and with developments in New Jersey law.
Colleagues describe her work as steady and thorough. She approaches a file by breaking down the legal issues and building a record that can support her clients’ objectives. The practical lessons from the appellate clerkship remain evident in how she frames legal arguments and prepares written submissions.
Adu is based at Lyons & Associates, P.C.'s Morristown office. In that role she manages client matters, represents parties in court proceedings and handles appellate assignments when cases require review. She continues to practice in New Jersey and maintains memberships in several professional associations, reflecting an ongoing engagement with the state’s legal community and the matters she handles in her daily practice.
