NJSBA
Board of Trustees Report
June 11,
2021
Note: This is a summary of the recent Board of
Trustees meeting, which was held at the New Jersey Law Center. This report does
not constitute official minutes.
Swearing-in: President Domenick Carmagnola swore in Christine
A. Amalfe to a one-year term as Treasurer of the NJSBA. She is chair of the employment and labor law
department at Gibbons P.C. in Newark. He also welcomed and swore in Robert Scrivo, of
Mandelbaum Salsburg in Roseland, to a two-year term as the Association’s Essex
County Trustee.
Budget approval: The trustees gave final approval to a $10.2
million operating budget for fiscal year 2021-2022, which starts July 1. It
includes free dues for first-year members as well as free membership in the
NJSBA Young Lawyers Division. The budget provides for continued investment in
infrastructure/technology upgrades to support hybrid meetings and events, while
also allowing for unique in-person experiences such as the NJSBA Annual and
Mid-Year Meetings and through various sections and committees.
Mid-Year Meeting 2021: With restrictions on in-person
gatherings lifting across the country, the Board approved the 2021 Mid-Year
Meeting to be held Oct. 26-31 at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. The
event is expected to feature continuing legal education seminars, including
sessions designed to examine and explore Latinx and social justice issues in
Arizona. A golf outing, tours and receptions for networking are also planned.
Details will be announced soon at njsba.com.
Grand jury rule change: The Board
supported proposed amendments to Rule 3:6-6, which clarify who may be present
during grand jury deliberations. The trustees agreed that the proposal to limit the individuals who may be in the room
while the grand jury is deliberating will prevent undue influence, or the
appearance of undue influence, on the grand jury and the integrity of its
deliberations. Moreover, the Board noted that the proposed change follows the
best practices already in place in many counties and by the Attorney General’s
office.
Committee
leadership: The Board
approved several people to continue their service as NJSBA committee chairs
beyond the traditional two-year term.
Government affairs: The Board agreed the NJSBA should
support A-5758
(Coughlin)/S-3842 (Singleton) which provides funding for clinical programs
to provide legal services for low- and moderate-income tenants in need of
housing assistance and appropriates $2 million. Under the bill, Seton Hall Law
School, Rutgers Law-Camden and Rutgers Law-Newark would establish the clinical
programs where law students would handle some of the large number of requests
for assistance with housing issues that are expected after the moratorium on
evictions is lifted.