Leadership Library

Thank you for becoming a section, committee, or division chair for the New Jersey State Bar Association. We are so grateful for your dedication and look forward to a productive and meaningful year of education, advocacy, networking and leadership in the legal profession.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES:

NJSBA MEETING REQUEST PORTAL: Need to schedule a meeting or event? Fill out this form to get started. Afterwards, your section/committee services manager will reach out to you for final details.*

NJSBA Leadership Manual: Your guide to key policies and procedures as a section,  committee or division leader in the NJSBA.

Dos and Dont’s for Success as an NJSBA Section/Committee Leader: A one-sheet summary of major takeaways for all section, committee and division leaders. If you read nothing else, read this!

NJSBA Bylaws: These are the general, Association-wide bylaws. Section chairs seeking bylaws for their specific group should scroll to the bottom of this page.

NJSBA Policy Manual: If there’s a question you have, there is likely a policy to match it! All sections, committees and divisions must abide by the NJSBA policy manual.

KEY STAFF CONTACTS and ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Your first and likely most frequent point of contact will be your section/committee/division services manager:

• Brian Doyle, [email protected] or 732-937-7512
• Justin Gumpel, jgumpel@njsba.com or 732-214-8529.

Please also feel free to reach out with general questions to:

• Paula Saha, Senior Managing Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Member Engagement, at [email protected] or 732-214-8509.

For off-site meetings and special events:

• Melenie Wernersbach, Director of Meetings, [email protected] or 732-937-7527

We encourage you to plan off-site meetings and special events, but please remember that contract review and planning must go through the NJSBA Meetings Department. We look forward to working with you to plan the perfect event for your members and more.

For Communications and Publications:

• Kate Coscarelli, Associate Executive Director, Communications, [email protected] or 732-937-7548
• Tom Nobile, Director of Communications, [email protected] or 732-937-7527.

The NJSBA has a host of publications and writing opportunities your members can work on, as well as publications that will highlight the good work your group is doing. Check out our blog, The Bar Report and New Jersey Lawyer (member login required). In addition, we encourage you to consider publishing a section or committee newsletter.

  NJSBA Newsletter Tips for New Editors

For assistance with CommunityNet:

• Nicole Crippen, Director of Digital Communications, [email protected] or 732-214-8556

CommunityNet is a listserv tool and the best way to reach out to all your members at once. If you have questions about settings and access, please reach out. In addition, you can find a tutorial presentation here.

For questions about NJSBA Policies and Procedures and Board of Trustee agendas:

• Sharon Balsamo, Assistant Executive Director/General Counsel, [email protected] or 732-937-75052

Reach out with questions about bylaws as well as other NJSBA procedures and policies for your section, committee or division.

For planning ICLE Seminars and Annual/Mid-Year Meeting Programming Ideas:

• Lisa Spiegel, Associate Executive Director, Continuing Legal Education, [email protected] or 732-214-8554

Work with the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education to put on CLE seminars that are more than two credits that will be marketed to all New Jersey attorneys, not only NJSBA Members. In addition, reach out to Lisa Spiegel with programming ideas for ideas for the Annual or Mid-Year Meeting. For meeting CLE programs that are 90 minutes or less, please coordinate with your section/committee/division services manager.

For assistance with Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives:

• Paula Saha, Senior Managing Director for Diversity, Inclusion and Member Engagement, [email protected] or 732-214-8509.

The NJSBA is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the profession and Association. Learn more about our commitment to diversity and DEI initiatives here.

For Membership Initiatives:

• Paula Saha, Senior Managing Director for Diversity, Inclusion and Member Engagement, [email protected] or 732-214-8509

All section, committee and divisions members must be members of the NJSBA. Consider hosting membership drives or inviting non-members to “try-out” a meeting.

For Advocacy and Government Affairs

• Sharon Balsamo, Assistant Executive Director/General Counsel, [email protected] or 732-937-7505
• Lisa Chapland, Senior Managing Director, Government Affairs, [email protected] or 732-214-8510
• Amy Conrad, Government Affairs Manager, [email protected] or 732-214-8501

Do you know of a case in your practice area that might benefit from NJSBA involvement? Is there a piece of legislation your group wants to bring to the attention of the NJSBA Board of Trustees? The Legal and Government Affairs Department spearheads the Association’s efforts to advocate on behalf of its members before the state’s three branches of government.

Amicus Request Form
Links to forms and resources on NJSBA government affairs and legislative involvement
Links to information on Judicial Administration

Watch our video on legislative advocacy.

SECTION AND YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION BYLAWS
Administrative Law
Banking Law
Bankruptcy Law
Business Law
Casino Law
Certified Attorneys
Child Welfare Law
Civil Trial Bar
Construction Law
Criminal Law
Dispute Resolution
Elder and Disability Law
Entertainment, Arts and Sports
Environmental Law
Family Law
Federal Practice and Procedure
Health Law
Immigration Law
Individual Rights
Insurance Law
Labor and Employment Law
Land Use Law
LGBT Rights
Local Government Law
Military Law and Veterans’ Affairs
Minorities in the Profession
Municipal Court Practice
Product Liability and Mass Tort
Public Utility Law
Real Property, Trust and Estate Law
Solo and Small-Firm
Taxation Law
Women in the Profession
Workers’ Compensation Section
Young Lawyers Division