President’s Page

Timothy F. McGoughran took the oath of office Thursday as president of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) for the 2023-2024 term, assuming leadership over the state’s largest organization of legal professionals.

New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner swore in McGoughran at the NJSBA’s Annual Meeting and Convention in Atlantic City. A host of McGoughran’s friends, family and colleagues – along with the NJSBA’s Executive Committee and Board of Trustees – were on hand to watch the Ocean Township family law attorney become the 125th president to lead the Association.

In a speech at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, McGoughran said he plans to focus his term on going back to basics to help members, by boosting membership, promoting member benefits and furthering the Association’s advocacy on issues that matter to everyone in the profession like the state’s judicial vacancy crisis and attorney wellness.

“I thought after the last few chaotic years it might be nice to get back to our basic mission – to serve, protect, foster and promote the personal and professional interests of our members. That’s the first line of our mission statement and the first line of my mission statement for the upcoming year. We can’t solve the world’s problems if we can’t make life a little easier for our members,” McGoughran said.

For the year, McGoughran’s keynote project is a new committee to create uniformity in mental health diversionary programs in the state. Serving as a municipal court judge, he saw firsthand how substance abuse and mental health issues are among the primary drivers of crime for lower-level criminals. The committee would bring together prosecutors, mental health professionals and the judiciary to brainstorm how to put mental health diversionary programs in every courthouse.

McGoughran said he also plans to continue the NJSBA’s advocacy on reducing the statute of limitations in professional malpractice cases to two years, implementing the wellness recommendations of the Putting Lawyers First Task Force and ending the Madden system of assigned counsel.

“There is a lot to do and so little time, but our team is up to the task and we promise to work hard and try to make you proud. My door is always open and I ask that if you have any concerns I am here to listen and try to help,” McGoughran said.

McGoughran’s involvement with the NJSBA traces back to his early years as a lawyer. He was a member of the NJSBA’s Young Lawyers Division and went on to chair the Association’s Family Law Section, before joining the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. He served as president of the Monmouth Bar Association for the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2007.

McGoughran is the founding member of the Law Office of Timothy F. McGoughran, a family law firm he manages in Ocean Township with his wife, Allison. He provides counsel on all aspects of family law, from divorce proceedings, alimony and child custody to asset protection and domestic violence cases.

He is also a former municipal court judge in Monmouth County.
Click here for a press release.

Watch this video about NJSBA President Timothy F. McGoughran.

Timothy F. McGoughran
2023-2024 NJSBA President