The 2026 NJSBA Virtual Summer Conference

The FIFA World Cup isn’t the only major event in New Jersey this summer! The New Jersey State Bar Association is excited to host the 2026 Virtual Summer Conference! Come out of the heat, pour yourself some lemonade or iced tea and enjoy the very best of CLE. Everyone who attends will score up to 7.9 credits, including ethics, as you explore the hottest topics and the most important information for your practice. Plus, mass transit isn’t necessary! Enjoy the conference from the comfort of your home or office.

Access the seminars by logging in to our easy-to-navigate conference website. Just like our Annual Meeting and Convention and other major conferences, there’s no need to pre-register for individual seminars. You'll be able to attend the sessions you want throughout the day.

Everyone who registers will be a winner! Some highlights are below but check back for more details that are coming soon!

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Congressman Barney Frank – His Life, His Legacy and His Impact on the Law
Congressman Barney Frank was one of a kind. A plain-talking New Jersey born legislator, he fought tirelessly for the people of Massachusetts for thirty years, helped make housing more affordable, stood up for the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, and helped pass one of the most sweeping financial reforms in history designed to protect consumers and prevent another financial crisis.

The Congressman, who died on May 19, leaves a legacy that will resonate well into the future. Join a panel of speakers as they explore Frank’s impact on the law and the lives of all Americans.

23 and Who? Protecting Your Client’s Assets from Newly Discovered Heirs
Genetic testing companies offer an easy and entertaining way to check into your ancestry. However, what happens when a long-lost relative finds out you’re related and wants to stake a claim on your client’s estate?! This program will address estate planning in the 21^st century with a view toward protecting your clients’ assets from newly discovered heirs.

The Bill Requiring Disclosure of Third-Party Litigation Funding – What Litigators Need to Know
A2159 was unanimously passed by the New Jersey Assembly and is currently pending in the Senate Commerce Committee. It requires disclosure of third-party litigation funding agreements and establishes certain responsibilities for litigation funders. The bill provides that, in any civil action, a party or party’s attorney is to, without awaiting a discovery request, disclose any litigation funding agreement. The bill also provides that the litigation funding agreement is to be disclosed at the time of the filing of an initial pleading or at the time of the agreement, if the agreement occurs after the initial pleading.

The proposed bill is controversial. Proponents of the legislation call it a “common sense bill” that creates guardrails around third-party litigation. Opponents of the bill are concerned over the unfair advantage of defendants to information irrelevant to the case and that it creates a de facto ban on third-party litigation funding. 

This panel discuss what litigators need to know about this vital piece of pending legislation.

How to Apply NJRE 702 Re: Expert Witnesses to Your Cases
The New Jersey Supreme Court Evidence Rules Committee recently proposed amendments to NJRE 702 re: the admission of expert testimony. The amendments would mirror the more detailed and specific Federal Rule of Evidence 702. Proponents of mirroring the federal rule aver that the amendments would fix widespread misapplication of the rule by courts and clarify existing law regarding the admissibility of expert testimony, and that it would also clarify the gatekeeping role of trial judges to prevent unreliable expert testimony from reaching juries. Opponents of the amendment disagree, arguing that the amendments would not further the goal of clarity and that the current rule is sufficiently clear. Both sides agreed on one essential point, and that is that more education surrounding the qualification of experts and the admission of testimony would benefit the legal community.

In this session, a panel of experienced plaintiff’s and defense attorneys will take a deep dive into the application of NJRE 702. They will discuss what qualifies someone to be an expert, effective methods of arguing for and against admissibility, and additional information you need to better represent your clients at trial.
 

Verdicts, Settlements, Damages and Your Client’s Estate - What Personal Injury Attorneys Need to Know about Trust and Estate Law
Estate and trust practice interacts with personal injury practice more than you might think! If you are a personal injury attorney who isn’t familiar with estate and trust law, you may be putting your client’s hard-won case or settlement at risk. 

This is a crash course for civil litigators in how estate law interacts with personal injury, wrongful death, workers comp claims and more. Join a seasoned trust and estate lawyer and an experienced personal injury lawyer as they take you through the basics of estate administration, probate, powers of attorney, executor or administrator appointment, guardianship, and special needs trusts. They will show you how understanding some basic planning concepts and tax rules will save your clients money and keep you from opening yourself to possible malpractice claims.

Speakers:
- K. Raja Bhattacharya, Esq., Bendit Weinstock, PA, West Orange
- Mark R. Friedman, Esq., Special Needs Law, Friedman Law, Bridgewater

The Sandwich Generation Practicing Law – How to Care for Yourself and Your Clients While Caring for Others
This program is for anyone who has balanced a computer on their lap while accompanying a loved one to the emergency room, dragged themself into work after being up all night with a chronically ill child, or has taken a client call supporting a parent with dementia. If your day is divided between legal deadlines and conversations with medical providers, hospice professionals, or social workers, this program is for you.

During this 100-minute seminar, a panel of attorneys who have firsthand experience as caregivers, together with mental health professionals, ethics counsel, and members of the judiciary, will offer practical guidance, support, and insight. Panelists will share personal experiences navigating the intersection of caregiving and legal practice, discuss strategies they have developed to manage stress and maintain professional responsibilities, and highlight resources available through the New Jersey State Bar Association and the courts to support attorney caregivers.

This program aims to foster understanding, provide practical tools, and remind attorney caregivers that they are not alone in facing these challenges.

What Criminal Attorneys Need to Know about AI Crimes
Artificial Intelligence ("AI") and generative artificial intelligence (“GenAI”), as with any technology, may be used for good and bad purposes. Those bad purposes may give rise to investigations and prosecutions for criminal activity, as we have seen with “deepfakes” involving child pornography. This session will examine known or foreseeable AI and GenAI-related crimes, the nature of investigations into and prosecution of such crimes, discovery of the fruits of those investigations, and relevant principles under the United States and New Jersey constitutions. The session will also look at the admissibility of AI and GenAI and "hallucinations."

Speakers:
- Hon. Sohail Mohammed, P.J.Cr., Passaic
- Hon. Ronald Hedges, U.S.M.J. (Ret.), Ronald J. Hedges, LLC,
- K. Raja Bhattacharya, Esq., Bendit Weinstock, PA, West Orange
- Maria Cestone, Esq., Maria Cestone, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), Morristown
- Mark R. Friedman, Esq., Special Needs Law, Friedman Law, Bridgewater