Joel K. Dranove

Joel K. Dranove, 62, of South Orange died Jan. 29, 2011.

Mr. Dranove was a noted civil litigator and criminal defense attorney with offices in New York City. Among his successes were his multi-year efforts on behalf of his clients Robert Calvin Boyette and Ruddy Quezada. Mr. Boyette was freed after being wrongfully convicted of a horrific crime and Mr. Quezada was permitted to file a second habeas corpus petition even though his first petition had been denied on the merits.

He was a member of the Bar of the State of New York and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Court of International Trade, and the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was also a member of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York State Bar Association, and the Brooklyn Bar Association.

He served on education-related committees for the Township of South Orange and the Maplewood-South Orange School District.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; two sons, Alex and Zachary; his daughter, Zoe; and two brothers, Paul and David.

Services were held Jan. 31 at Congregation Beth El, South Orange, with arrangements by Louis Suburban Chapels, Fair Lawn.