The New Jersey State Board Association’s Board of Trustees adopted an $11 million fiscal year budget and acted on several issues—ranging from proposals to reduce bias in jury selection to amicus cases—during its June 16 meeting at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick.
The budget, which takes effect on July 1, projects an annual revenue of about $11 million and nearly the equivalent in anticipated expenses. Under the budget plan, first-year members will continue to be offered free dues and free membership in the NJSBA Young Lawyers Division. The budget anticipates a resumption of more in-person events, though the NJSBA will continue to offer virtual and hybrid options for some meetings and programs.
The trustees also approved comments sent to the state Supreme Court’s Committee of the Judicial Conference on Jury Selection, a body convened following last fall’s historic Judicial Conference to broaden participation and representativeness for jury selection in the state and reduce discrimination and bias. NJSBA trustees supported the majority of the committee’s recommendations, but expressed concerns about the inclusion of reduction of peremptory challenges by consent in a proposed pilot project that would also expand attorney conducted voir dire. The trustees also suggested that the Judiciary provide parties in a trial with more specific demographic data of potential jurors and that the state Supreme Court establish a permanent committee that monitors the effectiveness of implicit bias training for judges, jurors and attorneys.
On the amicus side, NJSBA trustees agreed to seek to participate in the state Supreme Court case of W.S. v. Hildreth, a civil case where the plaintiff alleges sexual abuse by an elementary school teacher when he was a child. The case focuses on whether the plaintiff’s complaint, which asserts claims under the Child Sexual Abuse Act (CSAA), was filed in a timely fashion following amendments to the CSAA that extended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse matters and eliminated a requirement to file a notice of tort claim on public entity defendants.
The board approved two resolutions, including one honoring former NJSBA President Evelyn Padin ahead of her swearing-in as a U.S. Federal District Court judge in July. Padin was a trailblazer in the legal community, advancing diversity and inclusion efforts throughout the profession, according to the resolution. She also became the NJSBA’s first Latina president in 2019.
A second resolution honored Eileen O’Connor, who retired from the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education after a 35-year career, having planned over 3,500 educational seminars that enriched the New Jersey legal community.
The trustees also supported the following legislation:
• S1652, a measure that establishes greater discretion in court concerning child support related license suspension and credit reporting.
• A2129, a measure that requires certain common interest community associations to publish certain information; require that homeowners’ association contracts for management and maintenance include 24-hour emergency services.