Biography

The Rutgers School of Law - Camden community mourns the loss of Adjunct Professor Bill Zarling, who passed away August 8, 2011. His biographical statement, below, demonstrates vividly his modesty and humor, and his deep love of teaching. As a supervisor of student volunteers at the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, and as a teacher of criminal law and trial advocacy, he challenged students to the best of their abilities. Students reciprocated with respect, appreciation, and filled course rosters every term.  

As of this posting, an obituary can be found here

William Allan Zarling, lifelong Mercer County resident, survived the University of Pennsylvania (1966), Harvard Law School (1969) and a two-year trial-level clerkship for the N.J. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court (Trenton). From 1971-2007, he was employed by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, last serving as Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor. Among his varied responsibilities, he was police legal advisor for over 25 years. As a litigator, his experience includes three death-penalty murder trials.  He retired from the MCPO in October, 2007.

In addition, he is a teacher. He was responsible for teaching the "New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice" to all Mercer County law enforcement officers in 1979, has taught criminal law, arrest, search and seizure and domestic violence at the Trenton Police Academy from 1980 until its closing in 2010, has taught criminal law and arrest, search and seizure at the Mercer County Police Academy since its inception in 2007 and has taught more police, prosecutor and lawyer in-service training courses than he can remember. In his spare time, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Law and Justice at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) from 1981 to 2006, an Adjunct Professor at Widener University School of Law (Delaware) from 1990-1999 and a Visiting Part-Time Lecturer at Rutgers University School of Law - Camden since 2000 (Trial Advocacy; Criminal Procedure). Other faculty appointments include the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's (NITA) Northeast Regional Program for lawyers at Hofstra Law School since 1987, the "Intensive Trial Techniques Program" for students at Hofstra Law School since 1988, the "Intensive Trial Advocacy Program" for students at Widener University School of Law since 1987 and the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education's (NJICLE)"Criminal Trial Practice" Skills and Methods Course from 1994 until its elimination following the New Jersey Supreme Court's adoption of mandatory continuing legal education in 2010.  He is currently a Senior Instructor for Garden State CLE, a New Jersey and Pennsylvania certified continuing legal education provider. 

He was a member of the Editorial Board of the "New Jersey Lawyer" weekly newspaper from 1995 until the newspaper ceased publication upon being sold to the "New Jersey Law Journal" in 2008.

In September, 2005, he received the second annual "Career Advocacy Award" from the New Jersey County Prosecutor's Association. 

From July 1, 2008 to the present, he has been honored to serve as a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court's Committee on Character.

In the spring semester 2011, he was selected as "Adjunct Professor of the Year" by the third-year students at Rutgers-Camden Law School.  He is hugely proud of that student-voted award. 

In 2011, he officially went over to "the dark side," becoming Of Counsel to the law firm of Donini & Ramsey in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, specializing in criminal defense and attorney ethics matters.

Finally, in 2011, he launched LEGAL EAGLE CONSULT, a legal consulting business for lawyers, providing expert assistance with criminal law or criminal procedure matters.