The 2026 ELA Awards from Expert Law Attorneys have named Citizen Soldier Law Best Military Law Firm of 2026, recognizing the Hackettstown, New Jersey firm for its representation of service members and veterans.
About the 2026 ELA Awards
Presented each year by Expert Law Attorneys, the ELA Awards honor law firms that set a high standard for how clients are treated, from the first phone call to the final result. Recipients are recognized for experience in their field, client service, ethical practice, and involvement in their communities.
Why Citizen Soldier Law Earned the Recognition
Citizen Soldier Law is the trade name of Thomas Roughneen & Associates, Counsellors at Law, LLC, a veteran owned and operated firm focused on military and veterans law, serving servicemembers, veterans and their families nationwide. Founded in 2013 to advise servicemembers injured while still serving, the firm has offices in New Jersey and Alabama. Founding attorney Thomas Roughneen served in the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve beginning in 1988, retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and served as Senior Defense Counsel for the Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey Army National Guards and as an Army Physical Evaluation Board adjudicator.
He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court. The team brings more than one hundred years of combined military service and includes a board-certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The firm handles medical and physical evaluation boards, administrative separations, security clearance revocations, CRSC claims, courts-martial and VA appeals for every branch of service.
What the Award Means for Clients
When you are dealing with a military legal matter, choosing the right firm matters. The 2026 ELA Award reflects the standard Citizen Soldier Law has set for its practice and adds to the firm’s reputation in Hackettstown and throughout New Jersey.