Lynn Fontaine Newsome, a partner in the Morristown and Short Hills law firm of Donahue, Hagan, Klein, Newsome, O'Donnell & Weisberg P.C., has been elected secretary of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA). The Foundation is dedicated to promoting law-related education and giving all New Jersey residents a basic understanding of the legal system.

Long acknowledged as a well-respected leader in the legal community, Ms. Newsome has practiced exclusively in the area of family law since her admission to the Bar in 1981. A certified Matrimonial Trial Attorney and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, she handles all aspects of family law including divorce, custody, prenuptial agreements, civil unions, appeals and domestic violence. She is an experienced litigator who has tried all types of family law matters. Further, she is a certified mediator and has mediated and arbitrated many matters in addition to accepting appointments as a discovery master and as a guardian.

A past president of the NJSBA, Mrs. Newsome is a former chair of its Family Law Section as well as a past president of the Morris County Bar Association. She is also a longstanding member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Family Practice Committee.  A member of the American Bar Association, she serves in its House of Delegates. She currently is a member of the Executive Council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents and sits on the Executive Council of the General Practice, Solo and Small Law Firm Division. She is a member of the Mercer County Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Ms. Newsome has been honored and recognized by her peers with some of the highest awards bestowed in the legal profession. She was the recipient of the Saul Tischler Family Law Section Award in 2006 for her lifetime contributions to the advancement of family law in New Jersey and in 2009 was awarded the Samuel Seiber Professional Award by the Essex County Bar Association.  She is honored to sit on the editorial board of the New Jersey Law Journal. A frequent lecturer and panelist in the areas of family law and professional responsibility, she regularly lectures for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Ms. Newsome is a graduate of Seton Hall University and received her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.