The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Leadership Academy Fellows met last week at the Trenton statehouse for an inside look at the legislative process in Trenton and the Association’s role in it.
Among the speakers were Tim Lydon, a former judge who is now executive director of the Senate Democrats; lobbyists William Maer and Patrick Stewart from Public Strategies Impact; and NJSBA Trustee Roger Lai, Tara Howley and Sheree Henderson, who all work at the Office of Legislative Services.
Speakers discussed their career pathways, their role in policymaking and the law, and personal insights into the practice of law. In addition to hearing from key decision-makers, the participants attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and watched from the gallery as the Assembly debated a hotly contested gun bill. The session ended with a tour of the statehouse.
The Leadership Academy is open to all New Jersey attorneys who have been in practice for at least five years. Fellows meet throughout the year for intensive learning, career planning, sharing and network sessions, all with an aim toward training members for leadership positions in the bar, the workplace and the community.
Senate confirms four more judges, reappoints another
The state Senate confirmed the appointments of four Superior Court judges. The addition of four judges comes at a time when judicial vacancies have risen to a critical mass, resulting in calls to the governor and the Senate to prioritize the issue to resolve the backlog of cases in the courts.
The newly appointed judges are:
• Juliana E. Blackburn, of Newark;
• David M. Fritch, of Jackson;
• Sean D. Gertner, of Jackson; and
• Ralph A. Paolone, of Linwood.
Judge Robert Jones Jr. was reappointed to the state Superior Court. The NJSBA continues to advocate to fill judicial vacancies expediently.