A year that reaffirmed the critical importance of the NJSBA as an innovator and leader of the legal communityNew Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) President Kimberly A. Yonta opened the 2021 Annual Meeting Wednesday morning with a brief report about the past year.
Yonta said the opportunity to serve as president of the Association was a privilege. While the pandemic has required much of the NJSBA’s work to be virtual, it has been no less vigorous, she said in remarks at the Opening Business session of the largest annual gathering of New Jersey's legal community.
"I hope you will agree that the experiences demonstrate just how nimble, responsive, and steadfast the NJSBA has been. Truly this organization is a light shining brightly through the darkness," said Yonta.
She outlined the work of the Pandemic Task Force, which examined and addressed numerous concerns the public health crisis created for the legal community and its ability to serve the public. Its central focus has been to protect the integrity of the court process and ensure that practitioners can efficiently, effectively, and safely work with their clients. The task force has produced numerous reports, comments and issued guidelines to help the legal community and will continue working through the coming year.
She also expressed gratitude to the NJSBA's sections and committees whose members were a tremendous source of support for each other, extending their hands to help colleagues navigate challenges.
"I have seen attorneys volunteer to drive to not only get their client’s documents signed and notarized, but also offer to do the same for another attorney – sometimes someone they barely even know, in the name of solidarity with their colleague in our great profession. Even more, our sections and committees have worked closely with us to identify ways the NJSBA can advocate on matters like remote notarization; the safety of the immigration courts; and best practices to use in virtual proceedings," she said.
Yonta also shared how the NJSBA has worked to address root causes of inequities in the legal profession and the law, including establishing the Commission on Racial Equity in the Law which has been meeting regularly, studying a variety of issues including municipal courts, civics and education, pathways to leadership, the culture of the profession and policing.
"This work is not finished and we remain invigorated to pursue justice for all and ensure our legal system is serving its members and the public," Yonta said.
The Association advocated for safety measures to be put in place to protect judges, as well as urge government and elected officials at the state and federal level to act quickly to fill judicial vacancies.
"I hope you leave this morning with a sense of the passion the NJSBA has for helping the legal community rise up and thrive in any circumstance or situation life throws at us. This year reaffirmed to me the critical importance of the NJSBA as an innovator and leader of the legal community and reaffirmed my belief in the ingenuity of attorneys and their commitment to helping people through their hardest challenges. Lawyers have helped each other and thought outside the box to help their clients in ways that shine the brightest light on what it means to be a professional."