The New Jersey State Bar Association Board of Trustees met Dec. 7 and voted on: contracts for 2019 events, to seek amicus status on a case related to penalties in DUI matters, to support various legislation and to approve three members to fill vacancies on the governing body.
The board approved a contact to hold the 2019 Mid-Year Meeting at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in Puerto Rico from Nov. 6-10. In addition, the trustees moved ahead with a contract with Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa as the the site of the 2019 Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference on April 4-5. The trustees also voted to have a site visit in Napa, California, to scout possible locations and events for the 2020 Mid-Year Meeting.
The NJSBA will also proceed with seeking amicus status in State. v. Patel. The case involves sentencing of enhanced penalties in DUI matters where a defendant was previously indigent and not represented by an attorney.
The trustees also voted on several pending pieces of legislation. They agreed the NJSBA would support:
- A4353, which required New Jersey Transit to adopt a nondiscrimination policy and requires annual training on the policy.
- Amending S. 3B:3-9, which would clarify that an electronic will executed under the law of another state is not validly executed under New Jersey law, if the testator was not physically present in the state.
The board approved three members to fill vacancies: Susan Nardone, of Gibbons, will fill a vacant section/committee trustee seat as a representative of the Women in the Profession Section; Christopher Keating, who works in the Attorney General’s Office, and Rajeh Saadeh, who has a solo practice in Somerville, will fill Young Lawyers Division vacancies. The three will be sworn in at the January Board of Trustees meeting.
In addition, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education will offer courses featuring special speakers, thanks to the board’s approval. In January, “The Accidental Lawyer” will include an interactive ethics workshop, and in March, Dan Small, will be on-hand to discuss the “10 Rules for Powerful Witness Preparation.”