WILLIAM ENRIQUE AGRAIT WAS BORN IN MAYAGUEZ, PR TO IRMA MENDEZ, A TEACHER (SEE EXHIBIT A -1 FOR SUMMARY) AND WILLIAM EDGARDO AGRAIT GARCIA M.D.

 IN 1959, BOTH MIGRATED TO THE UN ITED STATES, ONE YEAR AFTER WILLIAM EDGARDO GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICINE SCHOOL, WITH  FOUR CHILDREN, WILLIAM,  EDGARDO, AN OLDER BROTHER,IRMA AND MARITZA AND TWO YOUNGER SISTERS.

AFTER ONE YEAR IN THE BRONX, NY, THE AGRAIT FAMILY MOVED TO LITTLE FERRY, NJ. WILLIAM ATTENDED SAINT MARGARET’S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN LITTLE FERRY, NJ AND GRADUATED FROM DON BOSCO PREP IN 1971.

IN 1972, WILLIAM RAN FOR A SEAT IN THE LITTLE FERRY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND LOST.

WILLIAM ATTENDED SETON HALL UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATED IN 1975 AND STARTED ATTENDING SETON HALL LAW SCHOOL.

WHILE AT THE LAW SCHOOL, HE WORKED FOR THE SETON HALL PUERTO RICAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE AS A GRADUATE ASSISTANT. IN 1977, FUNDED BY A SUMMER INTERN GRANT FROM THE LAW STUDENTS CIVIL RIGHTS RESEARCH COUNCIL (LSCRRC)HE WORKED WITH SEMINOLE COUNTY LEGAL SERVICES BASED IN SANFORD, FLORIDA (THE MUNICIPALITY WHERE TRAYVON MARTIN INCIDENT OCCURRED).

IN 1979, HE WAS APPOINTED THE WESTERN CO DIRECTOR OF LSCRRC BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA WRITING FOUNDATION GRANTS TO PROVIDE LAW STUDENTS SUMMER GRANTS TO WORK WITH PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FIRMS, LEGAL SERVICE OFFICES, AND CIVIL RIGHTS NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.  ONE OF HIS EFFORTS WAS “ROLLING THUNDER” WHEREIN FOUNDATIONS FUNDED 20 LAW STUDENTS INCLUDING NATIVE AMERICAN LAW STUDENTS TO WORK WITH THE HOPI INDIANS AND THE NAVAJO TRIBE ON LAND TREATY RIGHTS.     

RETURNING TO SETON HALL LAW SCHOOL IN 1981, AS A STAFF MEMBER OF THE SETON HALL UNIVERSITY PUERTO RICAN INSTITUTE, HE CO-WROTE AND OBTAINED FUNDING FOR A TALENT SEARCH GRANT, A UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM, IN THE AMOUNT OF TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR FOR A THREE YEAR PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY DISADVANTAGE YOUTH WITH EXCEPTIONAL POTENTIAL TO RECRUIT AND PLACE THEM IN POST SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS.

IN 1982, HE BECAME THE PROGRAM PLANNER FOR PUERTORRIQUENOS FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION (PACO) BASED IN JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, AND AGAIN OBTAINED FUNDING FOR A TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

UPON GRADUATING FROM SETON HALL LAW SCHOOL, HE BECAME DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FIELD ORIENTATION CENTER FOR THE URBAN SPANISH (FOCUS), THE FIRST NJ HISPANIC ANTI-POVERTY AGENCY AND WROTE AND OBTAINED FUNDING FOR A BILINGUAL FAMILY CRISIS PROGRAM WORKING WITH THE DIRECTOR, DR. JOSE ROSARIO, THE FOUNDER OF SAID ORGANIZATION AND A LEGENDARY COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.

IN 1984, HE BEGAN HIS PRACTICE IN THE NORTH WARD OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, WHICH HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF PUERTO RICAN RESIDENTS WITHIN A NEW JERSEY CITY BORDERS PROVIDING BILINGUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE AT A TIME WHEREIN THERE WERE LESS THEN 15 HISPANIC ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE. DURING THIS TIME HE SERVED AS COUNSEL FOR BOTH FOCUS AND PACO.  

IN 1991, THE FIRST NEWARK COUNCIL PUERTO RICAN CANDIDATE LOST BY 17 ABSENTEE VOTES WHILE WINNING ALL THE MACHINE VOTES. HE CO-REPRESENTED SAID CANDIDATE IN A CASE PUBLISHED AS IN THE MATTER OF LUIS A. QUINTANA CANDIDATE FOR COUNCILMAN-AT-LARGE OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, ET ALS., 250 N.J. Super. 419 (LAW DIV 1991) 594 A.2d 1356.     

FROM 1992 THROUGH 1996 HE SERVED AS THE ATTORNEY FOR THE STATE WIDE PUERTO RICAN PARADE HELPING RAISE FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NEEDY HISPANIC STUDENTS. 

HE NOW CONCENTRATES HIS PRACTICE ON REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND LITIGATION. IN 2007, HE BEGAN PROVIDING MORTGAGE MODIFICATIONS AND MORTGAGE DEFENSE LITIGATION TO INDIVIDUALS FACING FORECLOSURE.