Amicus action: In the latest development in State v. Olenowski, the NJSBA Board of Trustees voted to recommend that the state Supreme Court adopt the Daubert standard in determining whether to permit trial courts at assess the reliability of expert testimony concerning novel scientific evidence like drug recognition expert opinions. “The Daubert standard recognizes science is always evolving and flexibility is required to determine if the particular technique at issue has moved to the point of being considered reliable. By enunciating a range of factors, Daubert provides a roadmap for the types of proofs that trial judges can consider in aiding them in making an appropriate evidentiary determination, as opposed to Frye,” the papers state. Read the brief here.
Awards: The New Jersey State Bar Association Board of Trustees approved a slate of Distinguished Legislative Award and Amicus Award recipients that reflect the impressive pool of volunteers who have helped advance the Association’s advocacy in recent years. The awards will be presented at the Board’s holiday party being held on January 12, 2023, for the first time since the pandemic.
Policy manual update: The Board approved updates to the NJSBA Policy Manual to clarify that the Executive Committee is authorized to approve any personnel-related policies and decisions, with a requirement that any such action be subsequently reported to the Board of Trustees.
Legal Edge success: The Trustees received an update on Legal Edge, the reduced-fee legal referral software program that is free for county and affinity bar associations to use to help match attorneys and potential clients. The program has proven to be a success in the Morris and Sussex County vicinage.
Since the Morris County Bar Association launched the program over a year ago, 300 litigants who would have otherwise represented themselves were matched with attorneys who accepted reduced fees for their work. The program has been a help to the courts (which are the top referral source to the program), attorneys and the public. In Morris County, it has not had any detrimental effect on its traditional lawyer referral program and has even brought in additional revenue. The NJSBA stands ready to share information about how the program works and address any questions about it. Contact [email protected] to learn more.
