Join Us in Welcoming James N. Rooney, Esquire

Musi, Merkins, Daubenberger & Clark is pleased to announce the hiring of James N. Rooney.James joined Musi, Merkins, Daubenberger & Clark to provide effective advocacy and support across all the firm’s diverse practice areas.

James grew up in Lafayette Hill in Montgomery County and attended Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, graduating in 2012.  After graduation James attended Millersville University.  He studied History at Millersville, and while at school he was a member of the Millersville Men’s Soccer team.  James graduated from Millersville in spring of 2016 and began his legal education that same summer enrolling at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline school in the fall.

While studying at Drexel, James interned with the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office.  While working there he would perform client intake interviews and legal research for the attorneys.  He also spent one summer working at a personal injury firm in Center City Philadelphia where he handled discovery issues and pre-trial motion practice.  During his final year at law school James worked in the Federal and Appellate Litigation Clinic at Drexel.  While working in the clinic James handled an affirmative asylum case and worked on two criminal appeals alongside attorneys from the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office.  James graduated Law School in May of 2019 and began his clerkship later that summer.

James served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Darlene J. Pereksta in the Superior Court in Trenton, New Jersey, in the Criminal Division.  In this role James performed extensive criminal legal research, aided with jury selection, and drafted numerous memoranda and draft opinions for the Court.  He also drafted Post-Conviction Relief Orders, served as a mediator in Small Claims and Special Civil Court matters, and reviewed and drafted final criminal expungement petitions.

Following his clerkship, James took a position with Legal Aid of Southern Pennsylvania.  James worked in the Housing Division of their Chester City Office.  James would represent clients in Delaware County at the Magisterial District Court level that were facing fines and evictions.  He also spent time working as part of an outreach program designed to educate tenants about their rights and financial aid programs available to them.  James will take this experience with negotiating with landlords and attorneys to resolve housing issues and apply it as the head of MMDC’s Landlord/Tenant residential practice. James is a member of both the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Association.  He lives in Lafayette Hill with his fiancé Sarah.