2025 Asbestos Litigation Conference
Date: Sep 19, 2025 9:00 a.m. – 3:35 p.m.
Location: New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, and Online
Member Price: $203.00
Non-Member Price: $254.00
Section Price: $0.00
Areas of Law: Civil
Earn up to 6.8 credits, including 3.3 in Ethics! (More Information)
Keynote
Moderator
- Hon. Ana C. Viscomi, J.S.C.
- Middlesex County Courthouse
- Christopher M. Placitella, Esq.
- Editor in Chief, New Jersey Mass Tort & Class Actions Treatise (New JerseyICLE 2020)
Cohen, Placitella & Roth, PC, Red Bank - Gary D. VanLieu, Esq.
- O'Toole Scrivo, LLC, Verona
Presenters
- Hon. Thomas D. McCloskey, J.S.C.
- Superior Court of New Jersey - Middlesex County
- Hon. Jerrold N. Poslusny, Jr., U.S.B.J.
- Lisa S. Bonsall, Esq.
- McCarter & English LLP, Newark
- Donald W. Clarke, Esq.
- Genova Burns LLC, Newark
- Agatha N. Dzikiewicz, Esq.
- Special Adjudicator, Superior Court of New Jersey
- John C. Garde, Esq.
- McCarter & English, Newark
- David Katzenstein, Esq.
- Member, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, Lawrence Township
- Lynne M. Kizis, Esq.
- Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer, Woodbridge
- Jessica Lewis Kelly, Esq.
- Special Assistant To the Administrative Director, Administrative Office of the Courts
- Dana Ortiz-Tulla, Esq.
- Administrative Director of the Courts, New Jersey
- Mark S. Weinstein, Esq.
- Weitz & Luxenberg, PC
Presented in cooperation with the NJSBA Product Liability and Mass Tort Section
The popular yearly Asbestos Litigation Conference returns with new topics and timely information for your practice. Superior Court Judge Ana Viscomi leads an esteemed panel of practitioners to bring you the most up-to date-information in asbestos litigation.
You will also receive a pdf of valuable materials that you can immediate put to use in your practice. These include two important sets of materials from the Hon. Thomas McCloskey: “Ethical Considerations and Practical Suggestions Concerning the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”; and “A Compendium of Recent Federal Court Decisions Meting Out Sanctions to Attorneys for AI-Generated Case Law ‘Hallucinations’ and Fabricated Quotations.”
Gain the insight and critical information you need to stay at the forefront of preparing and presenting your asbestos cases in New Jersey. Ethics credits are available.
Program Agenda:
- 9:00 | Welcome and Overview of Topics - Christopher M. Placitella, Esq. and Gary D. VanLieu, Esq.
- 9:05 | Cautionary Cases and Rule 11 Sanctions – Hon. Thomas D. McCloskey, J.S.C.; Jessica Lewis Kelly, Esq. and Dana Ortiz-Tulla, Esq.
Judge McCloskey will detail his experience with unchecked AI in relation to an order to show cause filed before him and the ethical obligations of a judge when that happens. Jessica Lewis Kelly and Danta Ortiz-Tulla will highlight the Judiciary’s concern with use of AI and provide guidelines in appropriate use. The panel will also touch upon Rule 11 and the New Jersey equivalent, R. 1:4-8.
- 10:50 | Break
- 11:00 | Case Management and other Court Updates and Concerns – Hon. Ana C. Viscomi, J.S.C. and Agatha N. Dzikiewicz, Esq., Special Adjudicator
Judge Viscomi and Special Adjudicator Dzikiewicz will discuss overall MCL Asbestos case focus moving forward for the next several years as well as case management concerns and motion practice concerns. A practical guide handout will be provided as part of the PowerPoint presentation that will cover communications with the court, responses to routine inquiries from the asbestos bar and the role of the special adjudicator as it relates to discovery. Judge Viscomi will also review recurring issues in motion practice with a discussion of the Court Rules and pertinent case law.
- 11:45 | Allocation – A Discussion of the Supreme Court Decision in Estate of Crystal Walcott Spill v Markovitz - John C. Garde, Esq. and Lynne M. Kizis, Esq.
The state Supreme Court held that an individual outside the reach of New Jersey’s jurisdiction is not a party within the definition of the Comparative Negligence Act for purposes of allocation. However, that individual may be a joint tortfeasor for purposes of seeking contribution under the Joint Tortfeasors Contribution Law. The panel will analyze the case and what it means to asbestos litigation practitioners.
- 12:40 | Lunch
- 1:10 | What Can Go Wrong? A Live Demonstration of ChatGPT and the Ethical Pitfalls Practitioners May Encounter – David Katzenstein, Esq. and Mark S. Weinstein, Esq.
Witness the ethical pitfalls of using ChatGPT in real time! The presenters will enter fact scenarios into ChatGPT and ask for legal strategy advice. The answers will surprise you!
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2:10 | Break
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2:20 | Bankruptcy Update - Hon. Jerrold N. Poslusny, Jr., U.S.B.J.; Lisa S. Bonsall, Esq. and Donald W. Clarke, Esq.
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3:35 | Adjourn
Important Information About Our Events, Meetings, and More:
To secure your spot and receive important updates about our events, meetings, and other gatherings, such as schedule changes, remember to register in advance.
Digital Materials & Environmental Commitment: As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, unless otherwise noted, all seminar materials are provided as digital downloads. You can access these materials through:
- The “My Links” section at the top of our website for in-person or online events
- Or, for online programs, the event access link included in your joining instructions
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
If you need to cancel your registration and are not transferring to another program or date, please submit a written request to us at least three business days before the event, meeting, or gathering. You will receive a refund minus a $20.00 cancellation fee. No refunds or registration changes will be issued within three business days of the event, meeting, or gathering.
Stay Informed:
Registered participants will be notified of any schedule changes. For updates regarding inclement weather, please check your email or visit NJSBA.com.
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Scholarship & Financial Assistance Policy:
Read our Scholarship & Financial Assistance Policy and submit an Application here: https://njsba.com/njicle/cle-programs/scholarship/