Hon. Frank J. Guarini

Frank J. Guarini represented New Jersey's 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms beginning in 1978. He served on the Ways & Means and the Budget Committees. He was a Majority Whip At-Large for the Democratic Leadership.

He served on the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee where he developed expertise on trade matters. He was involved in the enactment of the Free Trade Agreement with Israel, Canada, and the NAFTA agreement with Mexico. He participated in the deliberations and legislation involving the Tokyo and Uruguay rounds concerning GATT; he was a principal sponsor of the Caribbean Basin Initiatives I and II, which spearheaded and helped to develop our Caribbean and Latin American trade policies. He helped craft legislation on our Latin-American trade and drug programs. Mr. Guarini helped to modernize our trade and tariff laws by working with heads of state to assure that the USA and other countries open their respective markets to each other. He received the U.S. Court of International Trade's annual award "for outstanding contributions to the administration of justice in International Trade Law."

While in Congress, Mr. Guarini was a senior member of the Budget Committee, where he chaired the Task Force on Urgent Fiscal Issues. Mr. Guarini has been an outspoken advocate for fiscal responsibility and has fought to provide education and job opportunities for our young and minorities and reduce government spending. He has been especially active in and has authored legislation promoting fair trade policies, education and the war on drugs.

He served on the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. Having traveled to the major drug-producing countries in our hemisphere, Southeast Asia, and Europe, he has first-hand knowledge of the production, distribution, and trafficking of drugs throughout the world.

He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the U.S. Representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations.

He was elected to the New Jersey State Senate for two terms serving on the Appropriation, Environmental and Transportation Committees.

BACKGROUND: Born in Jersey City, NJ

Education: Dartmouth College BA (1947), New York University School of Law JD (1950) and Master of Law (1955). He has pursued advanced studies at The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands. Mr. Guarini received Honorary Doctorate degrees from Saint Peter's College and New Jersey City University both in Jersey City, New Jersey. Additional Honorary Doctorates were awarded by Inje University, South Korea and John Cabot University, Rome, Italy.

Member: He is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, New York, the District of Columbia, the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Tax Court. He served on the National Board of Governors of the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA), and on the General Council of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Associates and was Alumni Trustee of the Hague Academy of International Law. Mr. Guarini has written numerous published articles and co-authored New Jersey Rules of Evidence.

At NYU Law School he founded the Guarini Center on Environmental and Land Use Law. At the NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marino he founded the Congressman Frank J. Guarini Center for Public Affairs.

Mr. Guarini's involvement in civic affairs includes service on the National Board of Governors of the American Red Cross; Chairman of the Board of Regents and Trustee of Saint Peter's College where the Guarini Center for Governmental Affairs has been founded; Trustee of John Cabot University in Rome, Italy; Hudson County Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has served as the Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation in Washington, D.C.