NJSBA 2025 Virtual Spring Conference

Earn up to 8.2 credits, including 2.0 in diversity. The topics you want! The speakers you need to hear!

Spring into March with the NJSBA’s Virtual Spring Conference! Don’t miss this virtual daylong event to earn over 8 credits on topics that will help your practice bloom!

You’ll gain insights from some of the state’s top thought leaders on the topics that are crucial for you to stay ahead in 2025 and beyond. 

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8:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Family Law

Auditing Family Law Firms – Compliance and Strategies
Don’t miss this informative seminar focused on auditing family law firms. Our expert panelists will delve into compliance considerations and effective strategies for ensuring ethical and efficient practices within family law firms.

Key Topics:

• Compliance Framework: Understand the regulatory landscape and best practices for family law firms.
• Risk Assessment: Identify potential compliance risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Financial Audits: Explore financial recordkeeping, trust accounting, and ethical billing practices.
• Client Confidentiality: Address confidentiality protocols and safeguarding client information.
• Ethical Dilemmas: Discuss common ethical challenges faced by family law practitioners.
• Effective Internal Controls: Implement procedures to enhance compliance and prevent errors.

Moderator:
Megan S. Murray, Esq.
The Family Law Offices of Megan S. Murray, Holmdel

Speakers:
Alexandra M. Freed, Esq.
Seiden Freed, LLC, Pennington

Derek M. Freed, Esq.
Seiden Freed, LLC, Pennington

Tiffany Keefer
Director of Operations, H&S Business Partners, Inc.

Best Practices for Working with Survivors of Crimes
This esteemed panel will equip attendees with essential tools and knowledge to effectively work with survivors of crimes as clients and witnesses, both in criminal and civil cases, while maintaining a trauma-informed, compassionate approach. First, the panel will begin with an overview of the New Jersey Crime Victims Bill of Rights to remind attendees of the legal rights of crime victims and witnesses. Attendees will hear from the panel about their experiences, while learning about important topics such as proper methods of questioning for survivors, how to navigate sensitive conversations and how to recognize and combat your own biases when speaking with survivors. Speakers will explore the importance of recognizing a client’s unique needs and empowering them to make informed decisions at every stage of a case. In addition, attendees will receive guidance on connecting survivors to valuable resources that serve to support survivors beyond the courtroom. Join this discussion to ensure you are equipped with the best practices for working with survivors of crimes in an effective, compassionate and fair manner.

Speakers:
Jennifer DiPillo
Director, Crime Victims Law Project

Dion Green
Founder/CEO, Flourishing Under Distress Given Encouragement (FUDGE Foundation)
Mass Shooting Survivor

Richard F. Klineburger, III, Esq.
Klineburger & Nussey, Haddonfield

Lindsay Lieberman, Esq.
Lindsay Lieberman Law and Consulting

Prosecutor Joseph Paravecchia
First Assistant Prosecutor
Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office

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10:40 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Litigation

Memory on Trial - Plenary Session
Steve Easton, the trial lawyer and award-winning teacher who has brought many innovative programs to NJICLE, will present a new and impactful litigation program.

Attorneys operate in a world dominated by memories. The memories of clients, opposing parties, and witnesses outline the landscape of the disputes and other interactions that make up the professional world we inhabit. Yet, human memory is a highly problematic source of information. Social science research has established that our memories of past events are always incomplete and almost always incorrect to some degree. Many clients, opposing parties, witnesses, judges and crucially, jurors, incorrectly believe that if a person is testifying honestly, their recollections are probably accurate. But what if they aren’t?

This interactive program introduces attorneys to some of the most problematic aspects of human memory and challenges them to brainstorm how to overcome them. The program focuses on a real criminal case where the presenter faced over a dozen witnesses who truthfully believed they saw a crime occur. Easton will outline the facts of the case and present strategies for how to overcome honest, but incorrect recollections of multiple witnesses.

The topics will include:

• Proving the nonexistence of an alleged occurrence
• Expert witness testimony
• Observing the phraseology
• The influence of investigators’ questions
• The danger of hearsay
• Undiscussed details
• Considering whether the defendant should testify
• Arguing carefully in closing
• The verdict

Speaker:
Stephen D.  Easton, Esq.
Trial Lawyer, Award-Winning Teacher
President, Dickinson State University

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12:45 - 2:25 p.m.

DEI, Labor and Employment

Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Tracy Sanders, the author of “Natural Hair and the Law,” returns with a look at diversity through the prism of neurodiversity and the law.

Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many ways. There is no one "right" way of thinking, learning and behaving. The word neurodiversity refers to the diversity of all people, but it is often used in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other neurological or developmental conditions such as ADHD, learning disabilities and dyslexia. A discussion about this is especially helpful to lawyers who represent clients or management in the workplace, or who are neurodiverse themselves.

Sanders and her panel of lawyers and mental health experts will provide information about how relevant state and federal laws like HIPAA and the ADA apply to neurodiverse clients. They will also discuss accommodations in the workplace and constructive tips for interacting with neurodiverse colleagues. Finally, attendees will learn more about the balance between individualism and dress codes in the workplace, which may result in perceived disability based on personal appearance (hairstyle, clothing, body piercings, and hygiene).

Speaker:

Tracy Sanders, Esq.
Author, Natural Hair and the Law

DEI, Family Law

Obergefell 10 Years Later
Obergefell vs. Hodges established a nationwide right to marriage equality for committed same-sex couples, based partly upon the modernized interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s substantive due process requirements.

This program will address the status of same-sex marriage 10 years after the landmark decision. The speakers will discuss the current state of the law, what to expect in the coming months and what advice attorneys should give to their clients in light of the recent executive orders signed by President Donald Trump.

Moderator/Speaker:
Alison C. Leslie, Esq.
Leslie Law Firm, LLC, Morristown

Speakers:
Jeffrey M. Fiorello, Esq.
Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP, Saddle Brook

Thomas H. Prol, Esq.
Past President, NJSBA
Sills Cummis & Gross, PC, Newark

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2:50 - 4:30 p.m.

Immigration

Immigration Under the New Executive Orders
A roundtable discussion of executive actions, policy changes and legislative changes affecting the practice of immigration law in several areas, including:

• Family immigration
• Removal/deportation
• ICE enforcement
• Parole
• Travel in and out of the United States
• Visa processing

Moderator/Speaker:
Alan J. Pollack, Esq.
Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer, Perth Amboy

Speakers:
Lloyd E. Bennett, Esq.
Lloyd E. Bennett, Esq., PC, Union City, NJ

Carolina T. Curbelo, Esq.
Law Office of Carolina T. Curbelo, LLC, Ridgewood

Municipal Court

State vs Zingis – Important 2025 Updates
The Court has issued a revised opinion and the Court ordered Zingis Index and Dennis Calibration Repository just went live online, and the new Zingis obligations on Prosecutors, Defense, and Courts are immediately effective. 236,664 breath tests between 2008 and 2016 are indexed online, and 1,046 calibrations are available as a download. This seminar is MUST for anyone practicing DWI. The new obligations apply to every DWI prosecution ANYWHERE in the State whenever a prosecutor intends to use a prior DWI from ANYWHERE in the State. 

Don’t miss out on this one time online seminar with our panelists:

Jeffrey Evan Gold, Esq., a NJICLE Distinguished Service Award winner, former Asst. Burlington County Prosecutor and DWI defense attorney. After representing the NJSBA as an amicus curae party in State v. Zingis and advocating for the position which the Court ultimately adopted, Mr. Gold will provide the latest information on what is required on affected DWI cases going forward.

Michael Troso, Esq., Former Deputy Attorney General with the New J Division of Criminal Justice and DWI defense attorney. Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Municipal Court Trial Attorney and certified by Draeger as an Alcotest Operator, Mr. Troso was on the NJSBA team that litigated State v. Zingis along with Mr. Gold.