Alumni Spotlight: E. Drew Britcher ’84
Our Alumni Spotlight series highlights some of the most remarkable members of NYLS's alumni community—graduates who are shaping the future of law and making meaningful contributions in New York City and beyond.
In this installment of our Alumni Spotlight series, we connected with E. Drew Britcher ’84, immediate Past President of the NYLS Alumni Association, member of the Board of Trustees, and one of New Jersey’s leading medical malpractice attorneys. His decades-long career in high-stakes litigation has been defined by service, leadership, and a willingness to think outside the box.
“I wake up every day loving what I do.”
As co-founder and head of the trial practice at Britcher, Leone & Sergio, LLC, Britcher has handled landmark cases, argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court, and helped shape safety legislation in New Jersey. Ask him what has motivated him throughout his career, and his answer is simple: “I wake up every day loving what I do.”
Growing up, Britcher was fascinated by government and public service, inspired in part by books his father brought home from Washington, D.C., where he managed the United States Senate restaurant. He jokes that, in kindergarten, he probably could have recited the list of U.S. presidents more easily than the alphabet. That interest led him to study political science at Rutgers College, and later to the doors of NYLS. Britcher was working full-time during law school, but that didn’t stop him from immersing himself in advocacy opportunities like moot court and mock trial.
Although he initially envisioned a career in government or politics, Britcher’s interests shifted when he clerked for a firm handling medical malpractice cases. Determined to understand the medicine behind the litigation, he spent evenings at the library reading medical textbooks and sitting in on medical school lectures whenever he could. That self-driven commitment to studying gave him a fluency in medicine that would later become a defining advantage in his practice.
Britcher’s innovative thinking and relentless work ethic have been driving forces behind his success. Today, he is widely recognized as one of New Jersey’s leading trial attorneys—having been ranked among the top 10 attorneys in the state by New Jersey Super Lawyers more than 10 times (including being ranked #2 in the last two years), named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers and Consumer Plaintiff Lawyers in America list, and honored by numerous professional organizations, including the New Jersey Association for Justice (NJAJ).
Britcher representing his alma mater Rutgers College.
Britcher attends the 2024 NJBIZ Leaders in Law awards ceremony.
Law, Medicine, and the Rise of Technology
After decades of success, Britcher remains focused on the future, particularly the ways technology is transforming medicine and the law. After all, his career has unfolded alongside some of the legal profession’s biggest technological transformations.
When he first arrived at NYLS in the early 1980s, the Law School had a single Lexis terminal in the library that students signed up for in limited time slots. Britcher immediately recognized its potential and began using it to research lawyers at prospective firms, printing and reviewing their cases to prepare for interviews.
That instinct to stay ahead of the curve has continued throughout his legal career. Britcher recently co-authored an article in the New Jersey Law Journal examining the impact of AI on medical malpractice cases. He points to AI-assisted radiology readings, digital medical records, and electronic audit trails as just a few examples of how technology is transforming malpractice litigation. At his own firm, Britcher and his colleagues are actively exploring HIPAA-compliant AI systems that can help with litigation workflows and case analysis while protecting patient privacy. Still, Britcher believes “technology can never replace the human side of advocacy, the emotional intelligence of it.”
Britcher with Tyrone F. Sergio.
Britcher and fellow Partners, Armand Leone Jr., MD and Tyrone F. Sergio.
“Who you know is as important as what you know.”
Throughout the conversation, one theme surfaced repeatedly: the importance of relationships. Britcher sees his success as rooted in both technical skill and the strength of his professional relationships. Early in his career, he kept meticulous notes about every professional contact he met, carefully remembering shared interests and conversations so he could build authentic relationships over time.
“Who you know is as important as what you know,” he says. “Being good brings work in, but people knowing you, trusting you, and liking you is even more likely to bring work to you.”
That philosophy now informs his leadership as President of the NYLS Alumni Association. Since stepping into the role after the pandemic, Britcher has focused on bringing alumni back to campus and increasing engagement nationwide, reconnecting graduates with one another as well as with current students. Under his leadership, the Alumni Association has expanded networking and community-building opportunities among graduates across New York, New Jersey, Florida, and beyond.
Britcher as coach of his local soccer league.
Britcher with fellow 1984 graduates at the annual NYLS Alumni Celebration.
A Lifetime of Leadership
Leadership has been a constant theme throughout Britcher’s life and career. From serving as student body president in high school and college to leading legal organizations and nonprofit boards, he has always viewed leadership as an opportunity to help others. In addition to his work with NYLS, Britcher has held leadership roles as past president of the New Jersey Association for Justice, vice chair of Planned Parenthood in Greater Northern New Jersey, and a member of the development committee of the Interfaith Food Pantry. He is also an adjunct professor, teaching medical malpractice and litigation classes at Seton Hall University School of Law.
As he reflects on a career that has spanned more than 40 years, Britcher remains energized by the work itself and optimistic about the next generation of lawyers. He continues to mentor aspiring attorneys and advocate for stronger professional networks within the NYLS community. For Britcher, the rewards of the profession ultimately come down to purpose. “I realized there was something that appealed to me about righting wrongs and helping families,” he says. “That’s what’s kept me on this path.”
Britcher at NYLS's 134th Commencement Exercises.
Britcher shows off his personalized NYLS sports jersey.