Fruqan Mouzon, Esq.

Director, Gibbons P.C. Newark, N.J., Age: 39

When Fruqan Mouzon was about nine years old, he defended himself so passionately after breaking a vase that his mother declared he should be a lawyer. He toyed with a career in boxing but eventually chose law. Litigation gives him the best of both worlds. “It’s very much like a boxing match,” he explains. “You have the judges to make the decision, you have an adversary and you have the case. You’re not always going to score a knockout, but you’re always trying to achieve the best result for your client.”

Mouzon’s career path — from law student to judicial clerk to director at the law firm Gibbons P.C. — bears the fingerprint of John Gibbons, who taught him constitutional law at Seton Hall University. “As much as anyone can be a guardian angel, he has been that for me,” Mouzon says.  “I haven’t made a move in my career without his input.”

In a seminal case before the New Jersey Supreme Court, Mouzon argued that a statute that makes it illegal to disregard a “stop” command from a police officer, even if you weren’t doing anything wrong, was unconstitutional. “I did not win, but the ruling was not unanimous and the case has been cited more than sixty times,” Mouzon says. “It was a big thrill to develop an idea that later blossomed into a new understanding of the State Constitution that impacts all New Jerseyans. The opportunity to have such an impact presents itself very infrequently.”

Quote: "The more you sweat, the less you bleed." - Paraphrase of a Chinese Proverb

Fun Facts

Favorite book/author: The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
Who should play you in a movie: Derek Luke
What band/group would you go on tour with: The Roots
First car: 1977 Ford Grenada
First job: Mechanic assistant
Favorite charity: All Stars Project, Inc.