October 2024

Hello friends,

Welcome to the latest issue of The NJSBA Docket, a bi-monthly bulletin with news from the legal community and Association highlights.

Be sure to check out the calendar for our lineup of educational offerings and networking opportunities. Here’s a primer of what we have in store for the coming weeks, as well as the latest court notices from the Judiciary:

News and Notices from the Courts

• The Judiciary invites attorneys to participate in an Oct. 29 listening session on the best approaches for succession planning. The confidential session will help the Judiciary provide feedback and develop recommendations for the state Supreme Court. Contact Jessica Lewis Kelly at [email protected] for more information and to register.
• The Judiciary released deadlines for a list of attorneys to file a claim with the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.
• The Court seeks comments for rule amendments on mediators and arbitrators in annexed programs, referees, child support hearing officers, domestic violence hearing officers and court staff mediators and hearing offices. The deadline for comments is Nov. 15.
• The Court designated cases involving allegations against C.R. Bard Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., and Becton Dickinson and Company as multicounty litigation. The cases allege injuries from Bard catheter products. The Court assigned the litigation to Bergen County for centralized case management by Superior Court Judge Gregg A. Padovano.
• The Judiciary relaxed rules on document submission before the state Supreme Court and Appellate Division.
• The Court updated the Code of Judicial Conduct to clarify that a judge’s disqualification is not automatic in the case of an amicus filing. Rather, judges shall recuse themselves from matters in which their impartiality or the appearance of impartiality might reasonably be questioned.
• The Judiciary scheduled four matters before the Disciplinary Review Board on Nov. 21.
• The Court dismissed roughly 257,500 unresolved minor municipal court cases that are more than 17 years old. The cases included offenses for parking, motor vehicle, violating municipal ordinances and other minor municipal matters.
• The Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics released Opinion 748 on a lawyer’s obligation to honor liens.
• The New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection released the list of attorneys reinstated from the 2024 ineligible list.

Supreme and Appellate Decisions

• Jill Mayer vs. Board of Trustees, Etc. (Public Employees’ Retirement System)—The Appellate Division considered whether a public employee, who terminated her employment to become a Superior Court judge, must forgo her state pension and benefits.

NJSBA Applauds Supreme Court Determination on Attorney Disbarment

In response to the state Supreme Court’s administrative determination that creates a pathway back to the law for disbarred attorneys, NJSBA President William H. Mergner Jr. issued a statement commending the Court for its careful consideration on the matter. As a result of the collaborative work by the bench and bar, New Jersey now has uniform standards for readmission that ensure the continued integrity of the profession, Mergner stated. The readmission process, while narrow, provides appropriate guardrails that protect the public while continuing to hold attorneys to the highest ethical standards.

Celebrate Pro Bono Service with the NJSBA

There’s still time to register for the annual Pro Bono Awards on Oct. 29. All are welcome for a ceremony honoring six individuals, firms and corporate legal departments that show an outstanding commitment to providing legal services to the state’s underserved residents. The ceremony will take place at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, where the NJSBA will celebrate the recipients and their work to ensure fair representation under the law.

NJSBF Offers Tips to Become an Informed Voter

The November elections are less than two weeks away. A free guide from the New Jersey State Bar Foundation offers a non-partisan overview about the voting process and how to gather information on candidates from trustworthy sources.

Don’t Miss the NJSBA’s Fall Conference

A Special One-Day Virtual Event

Enjoy a CLE extravaganza from the comfort of your warm house on Nov. 18, when the NJSBA will present a slate of timely and cutting-edge programs as part of its Fall Conference. The day promises seminars in a variety of practice areas, with speakers at the top of the profession.