Demetra Maurice

Demetra Maurice is a Partner in MKCI’s Livingston office with over 25 years of litigation, trial, and investigation experience. She enjoys a long-standing reputation, even with the most difficult and complex cases, for fierce, strategic, and professional trial advocacy. Having tried over 80 jury trials and litigated and investigated thousands of cases, Demetra brings her extensive experience to the areas of mass and toxic tort litigation, including asbestos and talc matters, employment litigation and corporate investigations, and a variety of general liability litigation matters, including defense of Child Victims Act and other sexual abuse claims brought against entities and licensed professionals.

Prior to joining MKCI in 2023, Demetra was a career Assistant Prosecutor with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office whose pursuit of justice and victim advocacy had a particular emphasis on cases of sexual assault, child abuse, and homicide. During her lengthy tenure in public service, she gained extensive experience in the management of complex, critical, fast-paced, and high-profile investigations and litigation. She served as Chief of Major Crimes (Homicide- Fatal Accident- Arson), Special Victims (SVU), and Community Outreach Units, mastering litigation strategy and management, client counseling and advocacy, legal review and risk assessment, problem solving, and effective communication.

Notably, Demetra tried the first virtual jury selection case in New Jersey during COVID-19 (State v. Dangcil, 2020) to a successful verdict and where the hybrid-remote jury selection procedures utilized were upheld by the New Jersey Supreme Court.

In addition to her litigation and trial experience, Demetra is often called upon for her thought leadership and program development skills. She has lectured extensively on trial advocacy, courtroom testimony, expert testimony, navigating hostile/recanting witnesses, jury selection, homicide, arson, fatal accident, sexual assault/child abuse, child safety, and police involved shooting investigations for the community-at-large, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association, Forensic Nurse examiners, John Jay College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutgers Law School, and law enforcement officers. She planned, developed agendas, and executed the annual SNAP conference for legal issues facing students and schools.

Since 2004, Demetra has been certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney. In 2017, Demetra received the Attorney Community Service Award from the Bergen County Bar Foundation for her commitment to victim advocacy and community outreach projects serving at-risk youth. She also served two terms as President of the Hellenic Bar Association of New Jersey. Demetra is a certified child forensic interviewer and police academy instructor.

On a personal level, Demetra enjoys spending time with her family and their rescue dog, travel, skiing, and hiking. She also dedicates her time to service with her church youth group, where she has chaired their local oratorical festival and writes and directs plays and choral speaking pieces for an annual competition and community presentation.

Demetra received her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International and Comparative law from Georgetown University Law Center. While attending Georgetown, Demetra was an attorney intern with the United States Department of Justice. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. While at Seton Hall, Demetra was a United States District Court intern and a regulatory affairs intern in the medical device field. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rutgers College, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.