TRENTON, N.J. — Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Thursday the nominations of three candidates to the New Jersey Superior Court and one to the state Tax Court, citing their legal experience and backgrounds in public service.
The nominees are John E. Lanza for Superior Court in Hunterdon County, Joseph Paravecchia and Nikki Davis Hladick for Superior Court in Mercer County, and William J. Maslo for the New Jersey Tax Court.
“I am proud to put forward this exceptional slate of judicial nominees to serve on New Jersey’s courts,” said Sherrill. “John Lanza, Joseph Paravecchia, Nikki Davis Hladick, and William Maslo each bring deep legal expertise, integrity, and a demonstrated commitment to fairness in the justice system. Their careers reflect years of service to New Jersey’s communities, and I am confident they will uphold the highest standards of our Judiciary and deliver the fair and impartial justice our residents deserve.”
Lanza has practiced law for more than two decades with Lanza & Lanza LLP in Flemington, representing clients in probate, civil litigation, appellate matters and real estate transactions.
In addition to his private practice, Lanza serves as chief municipal prosecutor for multiple municipal courts across Hunterdon and Somerset counties.
He earned his law degree, graduating cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College.
Paravecchia currently serves as first assistant prosecutor in the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office. He previously spent eight years as an assistant prosecutor in Mercer County and began his legal career as a judicial law clerk in New Jersey Superior Court.
He has held leadership positions in the Assistant Prosecutors Association of New Jersey, the Mercer County Bar Association and several committees of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
Paravecchia earned his law degree, graduating cum laude, from Ave Maria School of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree in crime, law and justice from Pennsylvania State University.
Davis Hladick is a litigation attorney with more than 15 years of experience in family law. She has served as a lead attorney at The Davis Law Firm in Trenton since 2009.
She previously worked as a legal specialist in the New Jersey Department of the Treasury’s Division of Purchase and Property.
Davis Hladick earned her law degree from Howard University School of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia.
She is active in the Mercer County Bar Association and serves on several community boards, including Central Jersey Legal Services.
Maslo currently serves as supervisory assistant corporation counsel for Jersey City and as an assistant municipal prosecutor.
He previously served as city attorney for Passaic and held attorney positions representing several municipal commissions and land-use boards.
Maslo began his legal career as a judicial law clerk in New Jersey Superior Court.
He earned his law degree from Barry University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. He is also pursuing a Master of Laws degree in real property development at the University of Miami.
Maslo is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and New York and previously served on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s District IV Ethics Committee.
