Family Law Associate Angelica M. Mercado Featured in Seton Hall University’s Debut Issue of IMPACT Spring 2025

Angelica M. Mercado, an associate in the firm’s Family/Matrimonial practice, was prominently featured in Seton Hall University’s debut issue of IMPACT Spring 2025 about philanthropy at Seton Hall, with stories of alumni who have been supported by generous donors over the years.

Angelica earned her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and her M.A. from the Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

As described in the IMPACT story “Lowering The Barriers To Legal Education,” Angelica was an Ambrosio Scholar at Seton Hall Law School. Named for one of the Law School’s longest serving and most distinguished Professors, Professor Michael P. Ambrosio and his wife Janice Gordon have helped fund a legal education for 35 students to date for whom a Seton Hall J.D. would otherwise be out of reach.

Angelica shared her appreciation for the career that the Ambrosio scholarship helped her achieve, saying, “There are a lot of people who are motivated, who are passionate, who have the ability and potential and desire to make meaningful changes in our communities and society but who are hindered by financial barriers. These financial gifts diminish a barrier that otherwise might prevent a changemaker from bettering somebody else’s life.”

During her final year of law school, Angelica took Professor Ambrosio’s class on legal positivism, explaining that “Legal positivism, as a theory, really brings to the forefront how morality plays into legally sound — or legally legitimate — rules and norms.”

“Viewing family law through the lens of what’s right is important, because an application of the law in a strict sense is not always the right solution. Sometimes the law doesn’t account for nuances. Sometimes, we can use our creative legal minds to be guided by what’s right — to work through a legal hurdle, or work through strict interpretations of what a rule might require, in order to arrive at a more just solution. It’s not foolproof, but it highlights a lens of morality through which the law can be viewed,” she said. The fact that Angelica learned these lessons from Professor Ambrosio makes them all the more meaningful to her.

The article tells Angelica’s journey from her roots in Newark to her graduate school degrees: In addition to her coursework as an Ambrosio scholar, she pursued an array of internships and volunteer opportunities, including serving as a co-president of the Latin American Law Student Association, a legal assistant with Seton Hall’s Center for Social Justice, and a student attorney for the International Human Rights Clinic and the Equal Justice Clinic (impact litigation). She recalled, “I got so much real experience before even receiving my diploma, working with real clients and solving real-life issues, often successfully.”

The article continues: A post-graduation clerkship for Somerset County, New Jersey, with Judge John McDonald (now the Somerset County prosecutor) sparked Mercado’s interest in family law. Today, in Mercado’s work for Einhorn Barbarito, a full-service firm with a renowned family law practice, her caseload ranges from domestic violence to divorce to child custody. She says she feels especially fulfilled helping people in crisis, which “relates back to core Catholic values.”

Angelica says her long-term ambition is to expand her pro bono work and take on international custody disputes through the Hague Convention. “It would tie back to my initial interest in international policy making, and it would expand the reach of the people I’m able to help,” she said.

Matheu D. Nunn, co-chair of the firm’s Family/Matrimonial practice, said, “Angelica is dedicated to helping her clients make tangible and positive changes in what can be difficult family disputes. Her journey to our team at Einhorn Barbarito, with the support of the Ambrosio scholarship, is inspirational, and we are proud to be her colleagues.”

“We are proud of Angelica’s positive impact, commitment to her clients, and ability to handle complex family law matters with both empathy and skill,” added Thomas J. Snyder, co-chair of the firm’s Family/Matrimonial practice.

Please enjoy reading the full feature story about Angelica at this link.