Judiciary expands eCourts access to attorney staff
The Judiciary expanded user access to eCourts for staff of attorneys in civil, general equity, tax, special civil part and expungement matters. Until recently, staff could only access criminal matters.
“This is an example of the Association’s advocacy on behalf of its members and the profession,” said Association president Domenick Carmagnola. “We heard from our members that this presented a practical challenge to them, and we communicated it and worked with Judiciary officials to ensure they understood the issues at stake. This outcome will be a benefit to every member and, indeed, every attorney in the state.”
Attorneys must associate the staff person’s account to the attorney’s bar ID in order to gain access to eCourts. Once registered, staff members will be able to electronically file documents, view the case jacket, and save and print documents using their user access without the need to use the attorney’s credentials.
The Judiciary is offering free trainings for attorneys and staff to “provide the legal and ethical requirements related to the use of eCourts and other Judiciary applications.” For more information and details on the training, go to njcourts.gov.
Supreme Court to expand pro bono legal services in state tax matters
Eligible law students and law graduates will be permitted to provide pro bono legal assistance in state tax matters under the supervision of a law school, a legal services or public interest organization, or pro bono program beginning May 1. The NJSBA supported the concept of this expansion but recommended adjustments to the proposed structure.
The NJSBA suggested defining the law students who would be able to participate in terms of completion of course requirements in order to encompass those who do not complete law school in the traditional three-year cycle. It also recommended permitting graduates to participate and providing a role for the student’s law school by way of approval, oversight, monitoring, or something similar.
The rule expansion defines eligible students as those who completed at least two-thirds of their course requirements and permits graduates to participate as well. It also permits law schools to supervise the program.
The full rule change can be found at njcourts.gov.
This is a status report provided by the New Jersey State Bar Association on recently passed and pending legislation, regulations, gubernatorial nominations and/or appointments of interest to lawyers, as well as the involvement of the NJSBA as amicus in appellate court matters. To learn more, visit njsba.com.