Owner & Attorney
John F. (“Jack”) McCarthy, III is the owner and attorney of the McCarthy Law Firm, carrying forward a three-generation legacy of legal excellence in New Jersey. As a lifelong Princeton resident with over 50 years of active legal practice, Jack offers a rare depth of insight and stability to clients navigating residential real estate transactions, estate planning, and estate administration.
Call to schedule your consultation · (609) 924-2884Jack’s roots in the local community run deep. Growing up in a household where the law was a constant thread of conversation, he witnessed firsthand how dedicated legal counsel could steady a family or a local business through moments of major transition. After completing his undergraduate studies at Princeton University – where he graduated summa cum laude while playing varsity soccer and enjoying time as a member of the Ivy Club – and earning his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Jack returned home to apply his training directly to the community that raised him.
Over the course of five decades, Jack has watched the Princeton landscape evolve from a quiet college town into a bustling, highly competitive regional market. Throughout these decades of change, his commitment to providing accessible, high-caliber legal representation has never wavered.
For Jack, practicing law has never been about anonymous transactions; it is inherently about people, legacy, and long-term security. He intentionally focuses his practice on residential real estate and estate law because these fields directly impact a family's stability and peace of mind.
Jack believes that a family’s home is not just an asset but the foundation of their daily life. Similarly, an estate plan is not merely a stack of papers, but a legal shield crafted to preserve a lifetime of hard work and protect future generations. He enjoys untangling complex title discrepancies, guiding grieving executors smoothly through the New Jersey probate system, and designing clear trust structures that prevent future family disputes.
A dual citizen of the United States and the Republic of Ireland, Jack has developed real estate in Princeton and Dublin and founded the first cable television company in central New Jersey. He is the author of three books: Joyce’s Dublin: A Walking Guide to Ulysses (1986), Planning Ireland’s Future: The Legacy of T.K. Whitaker (1991), and Of Town and Gown: The Life and Times of John F. McCarthy Jr. (1921–2012) (2025). Jack also produced the award-winning educational video Walking into Eternity: James Joyce’s Dublin (1990) and writes book reviews for the Irish Echo, the leading Irish-American publication in the United States. He has visited Ireland over one hundred times, often traveling to Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, where his maternal grandfather, John K. Holohan, was born and raised.
Education
1973
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
1969
Princeton University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Summa Cum Laude
Awarded Best Senior Thesis in European History
1965
The Lawrenceville School
Graduated with Honors
Mathematics Prize
1962
Princeton Country Day School
Class of 1962
Lower School Scholarship Cup (1959)
Upper School Scholarship Cup (1960)
Bar Admissions
New Jersey State Bar
Florida State Bar
Honors & Awards
Irish Legal 100
Nominated by The Irish Voice in 2009 as one of the top 100 Irish-American attorneys and judges in the United States.
Irish-American of the Year (2000)
Awarded by the Mercer County Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for outstanding local leadership and community devotion.
50 Years of Service
Recognized by the New Jersey State Bar Association for over five decades of dedicated, ethical legal practice.
