Prior to opening Surman Law in 2019, Joe Surman spent most of his twelve-year legal career  as an Assistant Prosecutor in Middlesex County from 2008 through 2016. He tried more than 50 cases to verdict, including 20 jury trials, for offenses including murder, armed robbery, drug distribution, and fraud.

During his term as an Assistant Prosecutor, Joe served as an on-call legal advisor for police departments in Middlesex County and the Middlesex County SORT team during high-risk swat operations. In addition, Joe was assigned to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims' Unit, where he prosecuted sexual assault and child endangering cases. He has brought that invaluable experience to the arena of criminal defense, where he has represented criminal defendants in prosecutions for firearms offenses, robbery, carjacking, official misconduct, domestic violence, DUI, assault, and possession of controlled dangerous substances.

Joe is a member of the legal protection plans for the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association and State Trooper's Fraternal Association. He has represented police officers in criminal prosecutions, disciplinary hearings, labor and employment disputes, fitness for duty evaluations, internal affairs investigations, and critical incidents such as police-involved shootings.

Joe is a national lecturer on developments in police body camera and surveillance systems. He also teaches annually on the use of trial evidence through the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is a graduate of the Top Gun Undercover Narcotics Officer Training Course and the Finding Words Child Abuse Forensic Interview Protocol.

Joe received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in 2004, and his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law in 2007.  While in law school, Joe was an Executive Board Member for the Hunter Moot Court Program.  After law school, he clerked for The Honorable Frederick P. DeVesa, P.J. with the Criminal Division in Middlesex County during the 2007-2008 term.