Graduate is Latest in his Family to Earn Law Degree from Rutgers-Camden

CAMDEN — For nearly as long as there has been a law school in South Jersey, there has been a Madden who has passed through its hallways and classrooms.

David Madden will be the latest member of his family to graduate from the Rutgers School of Law–Camden when he walks across the stage at the Susquehanna Bank Center on May 17.

Madden is continuing a family legacy that started when his grandfather, the late Hon. Thomas Madden, a former federal judge in Camden, graduated from the South Jersey Law School in 1930.

“Rutgers–Camden has become part of our family,” says David Madden. “It’s been really important to us. We always talk about the changes over the years and it’s been neat to see the progression the school has undergone as each member of my family came through.”

David’s father, Michael P. Madden, an attorney with his own practice in Haddonfield, is also a graduate of the Rutgers School of Law–Camden, as are his sister, Lisa Wixted, and cousins, Matthew Madden and Patrick Madden.

But David, who is from Haddonfield, wasn’t always so sure he would continue the family tradition.

“I grew up in a family of attorneys, so it was always there and I always assumed that I’d go into law, too,” he says. “By the time I got out of college, I wanted to try something different. I went into sales for five years, but I couldn’t see myself doing it for the rest of my life.”

Inspired by the work of his father and grandfather, Madden quickly changed career paths and decided to pursue his law degree at Rutgers–Camden.

“From my first year, I tried to do my own thing even though my family came through here,” he says. “I wanted to fly under the radar. It’s hard work and if you put in the effort, you can succeed.”

Madden says one of his most rewarding experiences at Rutgers–Camden has been participating in the Civil Practice Clinic, in which students provide representation in civil cases under the supervision of an attorney.

The Camden Catholic graduate, who received his bachelor’s degree in history from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., will soon start a clerkship with a judge in New Brunswick.

“It’s been a rewarding experience,” Madden says of his time at Rutgers–Camden. “The faculty is very helpful and they steer you in the right direction, helping you figure it out on your own. They’ve been very supportive.”

-30-