The Justice Virginia Long Family Law American Inn of Court would like to invite you to the second program of our 2018 spring term.
The program, entitled
Investigative Resources for Family Lawyers is scheduled for
Thursday, March 8, 2018. It will be paneled by two of our members: Associate John Barone and Master Eileen Tulipan. *
A brief description of this unique program is as follows:
Acquiring the necessary evidence to prove a litigated case can be difficult. This is especially true for family lawyers as discovery tools may be subject to judicial scrutiny and access to relevant evidence may be granted or denied with a high level of deference to the
discretion of the trial court. It becomes particularly difficult in post-divorce motion practice where leave of the court is required to subpoena relevant evidence necessary to prove your client's case. Accordingly, many family lawyers often rely on certifications from their clients as the main foundation to support a case. Without relevant evidence, parties tend to enter into a battle of certifications, which can be unproductive.
In order for attorneys to overcome some of the obstacles in obtaining discovery, they must look to resources outside of traditional discovery mechanisms and obtain relevant evidence available through government databases, public and private search engines,
information clearinghouses and other investigative databases.
This program will display a number of investigative resources and demonstrate how family law attorneys can harness available investigative resources to acquire evidence outside of traditional discovery mechanisms. Additionally, the program will use scenario
based training to exhibit the best practices in the utilization of investigative resources and discuss common evidentiary issues involving the use of less utilized resources.
As a CLE approved provider, the Inn will award two (2) credits to attendees of this program.
All attorneys are invited to attend one meeting before deciding whether to become an Inn member: the cost of the evening, including the program, dinner and CLE credits, is $80.00. The annual cost to become a member is $450.00 or $550.00, depending on your membership level.
It is the Inn's policy that Judicial Members and their law clerks are welcome to attend Inn meetings at no cost.
Our March 8th meeting will begin with an open bar at 5:30 PM. The formal presentation will commence at approximately 6:00 PM. There will be a short break in the presentation (at approximately 7:00 PM) in order for the members to serve themselves the buffet dinner. The panel discussion will continue during the dinner. After the presentation, there is usually time for informal networking with
the guest speakers, judicial members and among the attorneys.
The last two programs in the Inn's 2018 spring term will address the following topics:
1) April 12, 2018: Bankruptcy and Family Law
2) May 10, 2018: Alimony and Co-habitation
If you have any questions or suggestions for future meetings, contact me at
[email protected] or my fellow board member, Vito Brunetti, Esq. at
[email protected].
Once again, thank you for your membership and continuing support for this Inn. If you are not a current member, hopefully you will find the experience so enjoyable and satisfying, that you will become a regular member of the Inn and attend our monthly meetings.
Sincerely,
Brunilda Bonilla, Esq.
President
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*Associate John Barone is a newly admitted solo practitioner whose practice predominantly focuses on Family Law. John is transitioning from his current role as a Police Sergeant with the Jersey City Police Department where he has gained extensive knowledge and experience in law enforcement and investigative techniques. A graduate of Seton Hall Law School, he is an active member of the following associations: the New Jersey Bar Association, the American Bar Association, as well as the Hudson, Bergen, and Essex County Bar Associations.
Master Eileen Rhea Tulipan has been practicing family law for over 45 years. Eileen was the first recipient of the
Hudson County Family Law Practitioner Award in 2000 and a former Co-Chair of the Hudson County Bar Association
Family Law Committee. Eileen has an AVVO rating of 10 – "Superb Attorney" and is a speaker, panelist, and program
creator of many CLE programs.
General Facts about the Inn:
1) The Inn is an association of legal professionals dedicated to improving the skills, professionalism, and ethics of the family law bench and bar through collegiality, education, discussion and debate. The Inn membership includes retired and active family law judges and family law attorneys at all levels of experience.
2) The Inn is a Board of Continuing Legal Education-approved provider and a chartered member of the American Inns of Court Foundation. CLE credit is awarded to both presenters and attendees.
3) The Inn meets at eight times per year in order to share a meal and learn together through BCLE-approved programs. Discussion and friendly debate centers on the effective application of legal principles and ethics. Less experienced attorneys learn advocacy skills and benefit from interaction with judges and more experienced attorneys.
4) The meetings take place at the Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City.
5) There is discounted garage parking across the street from the Culinary Institute on Sip Avenue.
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QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS
1) What type of CLE presentation is the most effective: lectures, interactive demonstrations (scripted scenarios and/or mock trials/hearings) or a combination of the two?
2) What specific topic(s) or speaker(s) would you like for the Inn to schedule as a presentation?
3) Do you have suggestions to improve the Inn?
4) Are you satisfied with the current venue of the Culinary Institute and their dinner menus?
5) Would you be willing to participate in the scheduling and organization of the Inn, by volunteering in one of the following committees?
a. Membership Drive Committee
b. Meeting Organization/Planning Committee
c. Collaborative Law Training Committee
d. Mentor/Mentee Committee
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Brunilda Bonilla Esq.
Jersey City NJ
(201)653-7101
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