The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Board of Trustees acted on several items at its November meeting.
The Board agreed to submit comments on proposed amendments to the Court Rules governing Family Part mediations and juvenile referees. The NJSBA’s Family Law Section proposed comments on amendments that would establish separate standards for court staff and law clerks acting as Family Part mediators.
On a recommendation from the NJSBA’s Professional Responsibility Committee, and taking into consideration comments from other sections and committees, the Board voted to submit comments on recommendations contained in the Report of Supreme Court Professional Responsibility Rules Committee. The NJSBA addressed proposed amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct that deal with misconduct, basis and rate of fee agreements, waiving conflicts of interest for public entities and attorney responses to negative online reviews.
The Board voted for the NJSBA to join a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to accept review of Patterson v. Baz, a case from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The case involves a custody matter over one parent’s international relocation. The NJSBA Amicus Committee, with input from the Family Law Section, recommended that the Association participate to support the request for court review of the case, given a divergence of positions in the lower courts about the validity of parental agreements addressing jurisdictional issues in custody matters.
The Board supported the following pending legislation in the state Legislature:
-A4465 Simmons / S3405 Burzichelli – a bill concerning the assessment of farmland for property tax purposes.
-A4468 Venezia – a measure that replaces certain fixed interest rate awards in eminent domain cases with interest rates based on just compensation awards.
-A150 Fantasia / S1669 O’Scanlon – a bill that eliminates the state residency requirement for public officers and employees with limited historic exceptions.
-S2293 Scutari – a measure that requires automobile insurance policies to provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that is equal to the policy liability limits for insured motorists.