Each bimonthly issue of New Jersey Lawyer, the magazine of the New Jersey State Bar Association, focuses on a particular area of substantive law. Click here to access the online edition (login required). New Jersey Lawyer welcomes article submissions from NJSBA members. For more information, visit our editorial calendar.
The latest edition of New Jersey Lawyer, the magazine of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), covers some of the legal issues unique to military service members and veterans, which can span areas as disparate as property taxes to criminal proceedings.
Brian R. Lehrer and retired Judge Edward M. Neafsey are the special editors for the February edition. Lehrer is chair of the New Jersey Lawyer editorial board and an attorney with Schenck, Price, Smith & King. Neafsey is chair of the NJSBA Military Law and Veterans' Affairs Section and past chair of the NJSBA Criminal Law Section. He served as a U.S. Army Judge Advocate Captain during peacetime.
“The armed forces are made up of people like any other—they have virtues and they have flaws. The stress of military service is certainly something to be considered for veterans reentering society after experiences the average person cannot comprehend,” the editors write. “However, some of the issues involving veterans are common ones that civilians face as well. This issue of New Jersey Lawyer attempts to offer a broad scope of legal challenges faced by those intimately involved in protecting a nation governed by the rule of law.”
The magazine also features three regular columns on practice tips. This month, NJSBA President-Elect Jeralyn L. Lawrence shares eight valuable lessons she learned, Veronica J. Finkelstein and Jack Foley provide editing tips to improve readability, and the NJSBA’s PracticeHQ explains why computers should be replaced before they die.
The magazine begins with a piece from Melissa Strickland, who writes about recent efforts to reform the reporting and prosecution of sexual assaults in the military and the need to prioritize prevention strategies. The topic of disability claims is covered, beginning with Nancy Y. Morgan’s article, which provides a summary of the claims process and emphasizes the need for more advocates to help navigate post-service disability claims for veterans. Eric A. Gang writes about challenges veterans often face in securing disability compensation caused by the toxic water discovered at Camp Lejeune, and Nebojsa “Vic” Zlatanovic discusses the disability claims caused by using mefloquine to treat malaria.
Veterans suffering from mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, frequently come up in criminal proceedings. Robert A. Ebberup writes about the importance for attorneys defending these veterans to understand the issues and circumstances of their condition when developing a defense strategy. David Culley argues for a veterans’ treatment court within the New Jersey Superior Court system, a program that has been adopted in many states. In a similar vein, co-authors Robert Hille, a former NJSBA president, Thomas Rougheen and Neafsey advocate for expansion of New Jersey’s Veterans Diversion Program as an alternative to the criminal justice system.
Other legal issues, such as New Jersey’s property tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans, are reviewed by retired Lt. Col. Sally Stenton, and Patricia E. Apy and Michael J. Fleres explain the importance of understanding how certain family law issues can be unique to service members. The magazine concludes with a piece by Christopher J. D’Alessandro who writes about his personal experience in military and civilian life.