Attorney Diane Cardoso

Diane L. Cardoso

Location: Kearny, New Jersey
Phone: (201) 997-0030
Fax: (201) 997-7150

Diane L. Cardoso is a Partner at Brady Reilly & Cardoso and a highly accomplished trial attorney recognized among the leading civil litigators in New Jersey. Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Civil Trial Attorney, she has built a distinguished career representing plaintiffs in complex, high-stakes litigation and is admitted to practice in both New Jersey and New York.

Ms. Cardoso concentrates her practice in civil litigation, with a focus on automobile negligence, premises liability, construction site negligence, legal malpractice, and medical malpractice. Known for her strategic advocacy and courtroom presence, she has earned the respect of both the bench and her peers. She is also fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.

A prominent leader in the legal community, Ms. Cardoso is a Past President of the Hudson County Bar Association and currently serves as President-Elect of the New Jersey Association for Justice. She is also Chair-Elect of the American Association for Justice Women Trial Lawyers Section. In addition, she is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), serves on the Hudson County Civil Arbitration Selection Committee and Civil Practice Committee, and is the Co-Founding Chair of the Women in Law Section of the Hudson County Bar Association. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association and is a Fellow of the New Jersey State Bar Association Leadership Academy (Class of 2017–2018).

Ms. Cardoso’s excellence and leadership have been widely recognized. She was named the 2025 Civil Practitioner of the Year by the Hudson County Bar Association and is the recipient of the 2023 New Jersey Association for Justice Meyer-Segal Award. She has also received the American Association for Justice Distinguished Service Award (2021 and 2022) and the American Association for Justice Women Trial Lawyers Caucus Excellence in Leadership Award (2021). In 2017, she was honored as Professional Attorney of the Year by the Hudson County Bar Association.

She has been selected for inclusion in the New Jersey Super Lawyers list from 2016 through 2026, including recognition as one of the Top 100 Attorneys in New Jersey (2025 and 2026) and one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in New Jersey (2025 and 2026). She was previously selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars list from 2013 through 2015. *

A sought-after speaker, Ms. Cardoso regularly lectures on trial advocacy and civil litigation for the Hudson County and Essex County Bar Associations, the New Jersey Association for Justice, and the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Click here for Award Methodology.

In the News
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Education

  • Seton Hall University, 2001 B.A.
  • Pace University School of Law, 2004 J.D.

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey State Bar
  • New York State Bar

Associations

  • New Jersey Association of Justice – President – elect
  • Hudson County Bar Association -President 2024 – 2025
  • American Association for Justice – Women’s Trial Lawyer Caucus Chair-elect
  • Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey
  • New Jersey Women Lawyers Association – Board of Directors
  • New Jersey State Bar Association
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS)
  • Essex County Bar Association
  • Co-Chair of the Hudson County Bar Association Civil Practice Committee
  • Hudson County Bar Association Civil Arbitration Selection Committee

 

Publications and Presentations

  • April 2, 2025 – Hudson County Bar Association – “Proper Admission, Objections and Preclusion of Evidence:   From Discovery Through Trial”
  • February 8, 2025 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Civil Case Law Update”
  • October 22, 2024 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Wrongful Death”
  • February 10, 2024 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Civil Case Law Update”
  • February 11, 2023 –  New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Civil Case Law Update”
  • November 9, 2022 – New Jersey State Bar Association Mid-Year Convention – “Hot Tips by Hot Civil Litigators”
  • June 30, 2021 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Gender and the Constitution”
  • June 29, 2021 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Top Ten in New Jersey”
  • March 3, 2021 – Hudson County Bar Association – “Overcoming the Pandemic – Female Legal Professionals in the time of COVID”
  • February 27, 2021 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Civil Case Law Update”
  • February 15, 2021 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Ethical Consideration in Trying the Civil Virtual Jury Trial”
  • December 9, 2020 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Premises Liability – Social Host Liability”
  • November 11, 2020 – New Jersey Defense Association Women in the Law Program
  • September 12, 2020 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Certified Trial Certification Exam Prep Course”
  • July 23, 2020 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Enforceability of Waivers”
  • November 22, 2019 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Discovery and Preservation of Accident Scene Evidence”
  • November 21, 2019 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Top 10 Evidence Issues in Auto Trials”
  • May 9, 2019 – New Jersey Association for Justice – “Technology for Litigators”
  • February 27, 2019 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – “Civil Case Law Update”
  • November 9, 2018 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Rome, Italy – “Civil Case Law Update”
  • March 29, 2018 – American Association for Justice, “How to Deal with Multiple Collisions in Short Succession”
  • March 24, 2018 – Essex County Bar Association – “Trying Your First Civil Jury Trial”
  • March 10, 2018 – New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – Deposition College: “Objections at Depositions”

Honors and Awards

  • 2025 Hudson County Bar Association Civil Practitioner of the Year
  • 2023 Meyers Segal Award from the New Jersey Association for Justice
  • 2022 American Association for Justice Distinguished Service Award
  • 2021 American Association for Justice Women Trial Lawyers Caucus Excellence in Leadership Award
  • 2021 American Association for Justice Distinguished Service Award
  • 2021 American Association for Justice Wiedemann & Wysocki Award
  • 2017 Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the Hudson County Bar Association
  • 2017 Leadership Fellow – New Jersey State Bar Association
  • 2017 Certified Civil Trial Attorney
  • Diane L. Cardoso has been selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers list of Top 100 Attorneys in 2025, 2026*
  • Diane L. Cardoso has been selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers list of Top 50 Women Attorneys in 2025, 2026*
  • Diane L. Cardoso has been selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers list in 2016 – 2026*
  • Diane L. Cardoso has been selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2011 – 2016*

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Click here for Award Methodology.