Blogs

Capitol Report: Supreme Court Declines to Adopt Regional or Statewide Madden Assignments, Updates Court-Appointed Attorney Form

By NJSBA Staff posted yesterday
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The state Supreme Court will not regionalize or create a statewide model for assignment of Madden counsel, the Court announced in a Notice to the Bar addressing a recommendation by the Working Group on Pro Bono Assignments to examine how matters are assigned to attorneys. The Court also said it would refine data collection practices and statistical analysis regarding Madden assignments and would explore an Attorney Online Registration System to collect information to improve pro bono assignments. The New Jersey State Bar Association made recommendations on Madden assignments, including that in anticipation of fully abolishing Madden assignments, ...
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NJSBA welcomes slate of federal judges for bench-bar symposium

By NJSBA Staff posted 4 days ago
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The New Jersey State Bar Association hosted more than a dozen New Jersey federal judges on April 11 for a special NJICLE event on the interplay between federal and state court procedure. The first-ever Federal Practice Bench-Bar Symposium, held at the New Jersey Law Center, provided an overview of the best practices in federal court – brief writing, schedule and how to present your case – as told by judges with decades on the bench and experienced federal practitioners. The program was developed in collaboration between the NJSBA, NJICLE and Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. More than 200 people attended in the inaugural event both in person ...
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Capitol Report: Expungement Process Needs Improvements, NJSBA Says

By NJSBA Staff posted 7 days ago
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The New Jersey State Bar Association is calling for an end to the “genuine crisis with the expungement of criminal records.” In a letter to the Hon. Glenn A. Grant, Acting Administrative Director, and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, NJSBA President Timothy F. McGoughran raised concerns about a process that “has been plagued by delays” impacting tens of thousands of individuals seeking employment, housing and other opportunities. In 2019, cannabis reform led to an electronic system to process expungements, regrading certain marijuana convictions to allow for immediate expungements and reduced waiting periods to expunge both indictable and ...
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Helping Kids Cope with a Divorce

By NJSBA Staff posted 10 days ago
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The NJSBA's Member Assistance Program is a free confidential service that offers 24/7 phone, text or mobile access to a mental health professional with at least seven years of experience, who will provide individual counseling and connect members with a wellness library of more than 25,000 self-help resources. The program is available to all NJSBA members and those in their households. Get help today by calling 800-531-0200. The following article is from a newsletter by Charles Nechtem Associates, the program’s provide r. Since about 1 out of 2 marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, many American children are affected by divorce each year. Those kids often ...
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New Jersey Lawyer covers the broad spectrum of business law

By NJSBA Staff posted 11 days ago
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The April issue of New Jersey Lawyer provides an overview of recently enacted laws and trending topics currently shaping the business law landscape. General and business law practitioners alike can gain valuable knowledge and insight for their practice from nine articles written by the state’s foremost expert attorneys in the business law space. The edition, published by the New Jersey State Bar Association, includes articles on the Corporate Transparency Act – a new law that revised the ownership reporting requirements for every New Jersey business – the statewide upswing in corporate venture capital funding, questions to consider when handling mergers ...
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Capitol Report: NJSBA Submits Comments on Supreme Court Civil Practice Rules

By NJSBA Staff posted 15 days ago
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The N ew J ersey State Bar Association submitted comments mostly in support of the recommendations of the Supreme Court Civil Practice Committee in its January 2024 Report. The recommendations include updates to the rules to formalize electronic service of motions and discovery , discovery issues generally , and arbitrations. “The NJSBA recognizes the importance of ensuring our rules are clear, establish procedures that are fair to all parties, and, most importantly, advance the interests of and access to justice,” NJSBA President Timothy F. McGoughran said in his letter to the ...
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Dying in the Age of Apple Technology: What Happens to my iPhone When I Die?

By NJSBA Staff posted 16 days ago
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(Editor’s Note: This article by Kaitlin Hackett appears in the latest issue of the NJSBA Young Lawyers Division’s Dictum. YLD members can read the full issue here .) Preparing a Last Will and Testament will ensure that your assets, tangible or otherwise, will be distributed to your intended beneficiaries. However, in the age of technology when everyone has a smartphone, have you ever wondered what happens to the information stored on your iPhone after you die? We are all told to protect our Apple products with a passcode only we know. These passcodes are four to six numbers long but can expand to being as un-guessable as the owner would like. ...
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Popular civil law practice programs return to the NJSBA 2024 Annual Meeting and Convention

By NJSBA Staff posted 17 days ago
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The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention offers a unique chance for civil law practitioners to improve and expand their practice. Attorneys and legal professionals in the civil space can choose from 21 available educational programs that cover the latest trends in civil law. Whether it’s the jury and trial process, insurance defense, sexual abuse cases, product liability or appellate advocacy, there’s a topic for every civil law practitioner to gain valuable knowledge and insight. The Annual Meeting and Convention will feature over 100 continuing legal education programs with jurists from every level of the bench and hundreds of ...
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Two distinguished family law attorneys to share the 2024 Tischler Award

By NJSBA Staff posted 17 days ago
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The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Family Law Section will present its annual Saul Tischler Award on April 9 to two family law attorneys who have made significant lifelong contributions toward advancing the development of the practice and profession, through community service, education and advocacy. This year’s recipients – Amy Shimalla and Amy Wechsler of Lawrence Law in Watchung – are longtime veterans of the NJSBA Family Law Section, Somerset County Bar Association and frequent CLE lecturers on family law matters. The pair spoke recently about the award and their careers. What does it mean to you to receive the Tischler Award? ...
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Capitol Report: NJ Law Revision Commission, NJSBA to Review Withholding of Gets

By NJSBA Staff posted 22 days ago
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The New Jersey Law Revision Commission has agreed to collaborate with the New Jersey State Bar Association to study the issue of withholding a get in a religious divorce. In a public meeting last week, the commissioners heard from past Chair of the Family Law Section, Sheryl L. Seiden, on recent case law relative to gets and the impact on withholding a get from a woman seeking a divorce in the Jewish faith. Last October, the Association requested that the NJLRC review the issue in light of two recent matters involving the withholding of gets. In Satz v. Satz , the Appellate Division held that where there was language in the marital settlement agreement ...
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Register for Annual Dinner and Saul Tischler Award

By NJSBA Staff posted 23 days ago
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The Saul Tischler Award recognizes outstanding lifetime achievement in family law and contributions to advancing the development of the practice and profession, community service and dedication to family law issues through education and advocacy. Please join us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening filled with inspiration, gratitude and celebration. Tuesday, April 9 6 to 9 p.m. The Palace at Somerset Honoring 2024 award recipients Amy Shimalla, Esq. Amy Wechsler, Esq. Pre-registration is required Rates: Members: $150 ...
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Artificial Intelligence Program Will Kick Off The Annual Meeting and Convention

By NJSBA Staff posted 24 days ago
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Artificial intelligence and its impact on the practice of law will take center stage at the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting and Convention. The convention Opening Business Session will kick the discussion off with a keynote presentation and discussion, “Artificial Intelligence and the Impact on the Practice of Law.” The program will explore how AI is shaping the profession, what opportunities may open for attorneys and what lawyers should be concerned about. Dr. Chris Mattmann , president and founder of Mattmann.AI, LLC and an international expert in artificial intelligence and author, will give the keynote. Mattmann has worked with government ...
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Stay Safe: NJSBA Shares Cybersecurity Reminders

By NJSBA Staff posted 03-18-2024
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In recent days, there has been a significant increase in cyber-attacks worldwide. Because of all of this, the New Jersey State Bar Association shares some quick reminders about how to stay safe. Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Emails: Avoid opening email attachments or clicking links from unknown sources due to the rise in phishing sophistication. Use Strong and Unique Passwords : When it's time for a reset, ensure your passwords are robust and distinct across all accounts, from work to personal (like Netflix). Avoid reusing work passwords elsewhere. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on Non-Work Accounts: Activate MFA wherever ...
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PracticeHQ Presents -- Excel Power Tips for Legal Users

By NJSBA Staff posted 03-17-2024
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Excel can be a powerful, behind-the-scenes partner to attorneys. It can help with math, improve efficiency and consistency. Dozens of New Jersey State Bar Association members took part in “Excel Power Tips for Legal Users” at a free, lunchtime webinar from PracticeHQ, the member benefit that provides practice management guidance. The program offered tips on: how to use formulas, the best way to take advantage of hot buttons, like AutoSum which will add targeted cells, formatting strategies, such as how to make columns automatically fit the information included, how to insert columns and rows, ways to automatically insert $ and commas ...
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State Bar Governing Body Acts at March Meeting

By NJSBA Staff posted 03-17-2024
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The New Jersey State Bar Association Board of Trustees took action on a host of matters recently. The board met on March 8 at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick. The board voted on positions to advocate related to several legislative items and funding proposals. The trustees supported S2437 (Pou) , which would direct the state Office of the Public Defender to provide legal representation for certain criminal contempt violations.   They also said the NJSBA should share expertise, feedback from the legal community and advocate on proposed changes to the state’s Open Public Records Act to ensure the best interests of ...
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Members Who Inspire: How a Cape May County attorney became a global marathoner

By NJSBA Staff posted 03-17-2024
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The NJSBA’s Members Who Inspire program is an ongoing series that turns the spotlight on members and highlights how they are making a difference in their career and outside of the law. The program offers an opportunity for members to share their unique stories with their colleagues, inspire future legal professionals and strengthen awareness of the profession and Association. This story features Daniel J. McCann, an attorney who is one of the few people to complete a marathon on all seven continents. The number 982 holds a special meaning for Daniel J. McCann. It’s not the total real estate transactions he’s closed as head of a boutique law firm ...
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Managing Healthy Family and Work Relationships with Less Stress | NJSBA Member Assistance Program Provides Strategies, Insights

By NJSBA Staff posted 03-04-2024
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Dozens of NJSBA members took part in a recent workshop on how to decrease stress in work and family relationships. It was a free lunchtime webinar from the Association’s Member Assistance Program. The session looked at characteristics of healthy relationships, including positive and consistent communication, mutual respect, resiliency, reliability, empathy, inclusivity, and trust. Family relationships foster stability, mental health and confidence in going out into the world and help you develop relationships in the workplace and further a sense of confidence and trust in others going forward, said Shaunta Clark, a senior counselor at Charles ...
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NJSBF Awards Nonprofits with Grant Funding for Law Fellows

By NJSBA Staff posted 02-23-2024
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Three New Jersey nonprofit organizations received grants from the New Jersey State Bar Foundation to fund a post-graduate law fellow who will work with the organization on public interest legal matters and develop advocacy and other skills. “We created this new grant program to help nonprofits provide law-related education as well as legal and community support through year-long fellowships,” said Foundation Secretary Katrina Homel, who is chair of the Foundation’s Task Force on Fellowship Development. “Each fellow will work on a project for the nonprofit that has an educational component, addresses multiple areas of need and aligns with the Foundation’s ...
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Capitol Report - State Senate Committee Hears Concerns Tax Lien Foreclosures in Light of Tyler v. Hennepin

By NJSBA Staff posted 02-23-2024
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State Senate Committee Hears Concerns Tax Lien Foreclosures in Light of Tyler v. Hennepin The New Jersey Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee recently considered bills related to tax lien foreclosures, addressing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Tyler v. Hennepin County , MN, 143 S. Ct. 1369 (2023). The New Jersey State Bar Association is closely monitoring the bills. One measure, S2334 (Stack), was up for discussion only. It would revise the process for property tax lien holders to foreclose the right to redeem a property tax lien and allows the property owner to protect the remaining equity. Consistent with the holding in Tyler , the ...
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NJSBA Board of Trustees takes action at February meeting

By NJSBA Staff posted 02-16-2024
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The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Board of Trustees convened in February to act on several measures. The Board approved a request by the Cannabis Law Special Committee to change its name to the Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Special Committee, given the rise of the psychedelics industry alongside the growth of cannabis businesses in New Jersey. The name change brings the NJSBA in line with other bar associations that have formed committees on the topic, including the New York City, Oregon State, Colorado State and Washington State Bar Associations. The Board approved recommendations to hold the 2025 Mid-Year Meeting in Italy and the 2025 Family Law Retreat ...
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