It’s the basis of the legal profession, but many attorneys don’t know how a bill is drafted, or how it moves through the legislative process.
To help its members understand the innerworkings of how an idea becomes a law, the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) will host a program for its members. The session will break down the process and trace how a basic idea becomes law, and what it takes to make that idea a reality.
The virtual program will feature Assemblyman Raj Mukherji; Kevin Logan, chief counsel of the Assembly Republican Office, and Sheree Henderson, lead counsel of the Office of Legislative Services for the New Jersey State Legislature. Lisa Chapland, the NJSBA’s Director of Government Affairs, will moderate the program.
The idea for the program came from conversations among the Criminal Law Section membership.
“I’ve been active with the Criminal Law Section since 2010,” said Michael A. Roberts, chair-elect. “A large part of what we do is review pending legislation and decide whether the bill is something our section would endorse. It occurred to me that I have never been formally trained in how to read bills and imagine some of my colleagues have not as well. I know I would benefit from a program designed to explain not just how a bill becomes a law and the NJSBA participation in same, but the mechanics of the revision process and how to read drafts.”
The webinar will be held from 12–1 p.m. on March 22. Continuing legal education credits are available.
Register at njsba.com.