Carol A. Berlen is a partner with Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC who brings with her a distinctive background in municipal government law, providing services to municipalities for 35 years.  Ms. Berlen’s practice currently centers on representing public entities and performing all legal services required by various Improvement Authorities and municipalities. She concentrates in the areas of Municipal Government Law, Local Public Contracts Law, Cannabis Law, Public Authority Law and Public Utilities Law. She has served as Municipal Attorney, and Special Counsel to municipalities and public entities.

Ms. Berlen currently serves as General Counsel to the Township of Ocean Sewerage Authority and Special Counsel to the Borough of Roselle Cannabis Committee. She also provides assistance in the Borough of Keyport, Township of Edison, City of Rahway and the New Jersey Solutions Health Insurance Fund (NJSHIF). Her prior municipal experience includes service as Borough Attorney for Roselle Park, Neptune City, and Atlantic Highlands, as well as General Counsel to the Woodbridge Board of Fire Commissioners, District No. 9. Before joining the firm, she was Assistant Township Attorney for the Township of Old Bridge from May 2003 through February 2012. During that tenure, she became certified as a Registered Municipal Clerk. She has also provided legal services to the Township of Howell and the City of Asbury Park.

Prior to joining Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC, Ms. Berlen held the role of Ethics Liaison Officer at the Office of Administrative Law.  She was responsible for yearly ethics training and presentation to the OAL judges and staff.   In addition, she was responsible for the one-on-one ethics training of all newly appointed Administrative Law Judges.   As a Legal Assistant to the Deputy Clerk of the OAL, she was responsible for the scheduling of hearings for all southern New Jersey counties regarding Medicaid, Welfare and Special Education matters.