Run Solo Run: Profile of Jenna Casper Bloom, Winner for the East Amwell Township, New Jersey Committee
Welcome to the MyShingle profile series, Run Solo Run where we feature solo and small law firm owners who are running for office – or who have successfully run as in the case of Jenna Casper Bloom featured in this profile. A criminal defense attorney and owner of Casper Bloom Law, Casper Bloom was elected to a position on the East Amwell Township, New Jersey Committee in November 2021 following her successful campaign. Casper Bloom’s story will hopefully inspire other law firm owners to run.
Thanks for participating in our series. What position did you run for?
I ran for the position of Township Committee in my town of East Amwell. It is a five person committee, each serving three year terms.
Was that your first campaign?
Yes.
What made you decide to run for a position on your Township Committee.
I decided to run for this position for a few reasons. First, I had lived in my town for fifteen years. I have two children and my mother lives here as well so it was important to me to be involved in the town. I also recently left my job as a public defender to open my own practice which gave me more control over my time which allowed me to run. Lastly, my marketing company said running for office had one of the best ROI as it doesn’t involve much cost but really gets your name out there.
Can you summarize a few key points of your platform?
One of my key points was that the current township committee consisted of five Republicans and change was needed as I ran as a Democratic. I also focused on keeping our town of East Amwell rural as members of the committee wanted to allow more development in our town.
What steps are involved in launching a run in your district/for your office?
I first had to align myself with the Democratic Party of East Amwell. I then found a campaign manager and treasurer. I also worked with someone to design my logo. I then worked on putting campaign material together.
What kinds of things are you doing to get the word out about your run?
I put together a campaign website, sent numerous letters to everyone in my town, and I also door knocked. I hit almost every single house in East Amwell. I also held picnics and parties to get my name out as well as attending events in the community.
How time-consuming is your campaign, and is it tough to balance with your law practice?
The campaign became very time-consuming after Labor Day as I spent my weekends and afternoons knocking on doors. I also needed to cut back on some of my practice so I could focus on the campaign. I think it was only possible for me to run because I was a solo so I had control over my time and how I spent it.
What kind of support have you had from other lawyers?
Every lawyer I talked to was very supportive.
How has your experience as an attorney and/or a law firm owner been an asset in running for office?
The biggest asset was, as a criminal defense attorney, I am used to talking and listening to all different types of people and which was extremely helpful in the campaign.
For those of us who have lawyer friends and colleagues running for office, how can we support them?
I always told people I needed their time or their money so a financial contribution is always helpful. Other attorneys were also a good resource for helping me find someone to design my campaign material, a place to have signs printed, somewhere to hold events, etc.
What advice can you give to other law firm owners who may be thinking about running for office or becoming more politically involved?
I would recommend that they make sure it is something they want to do as it is very time consuming and it affects your whole family for at least six months. I also recommend that they find individuals that you trust that can support you. I could not have been successful at this campaign without the support from my family and friends – whether they helped set up events or watched my children so I good door knock – I could not have won without their support.