Marvin Blakely is an experienced civil trial attorney who was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1985 and the New York Bar in 1986. Since then, Mr. Blakely has practiced in state and federal courts in various jurisdictions in both states. In addition to his state bar admissions, he is a member of the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and has argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court. Mr. Blakely received his Juris Doctorate from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco in 1982, where he was elected President of the Associated Students of Hastings, and served as an Ad Hoc Member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Blakely earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1977.

Mr. Blakely began his legal career with the Contra County District Attorney's office in Martinez, California; prosecuting misdemeanors and related offenses before joining various private and public law firms in the greater New York / New Jersey area. As a plaintiff attorney with the Lipsig Firm, he obtained a million dollar verdict in Kings County, New York. He has also worked as in-house Trial Counsel for AIG in New York and for Fireman's Fund in New Jersey, as well as litigating for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. While at AIG and Fireman's Fund, Mr. Blakely was a finalist in their respective National Trial Advocacy Programs.