The Weight of the Work – Navigating Mental Health, Ethics, and Client Representation
Date: Jun 16, 2026 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Online
Member Price: $143.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00
Section Price: $0.00
Areas of Law: Ethics, For All Attorneys
Keynote
Moderator
Presenters
- Hon. Laurie C. Poppe, J.S.C.
- Ocean County Superior Court
- Natalya G. Johnson, Esq.
- Assistant General Counsel, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick
- Jessica Lewis Kelly, Esq.
- Special Assistant To the Administrative Director, Administrative Office of the Courts
- Jeralyn L. Lawrence, Esq.
- Past President, New Jersey State Bar Association
Lawrence Law, LLC, WatchungCertified as a Matrimonial Law Attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, is the Managing Member and founder of Lawrence Law in Watchung, New Jersey. She practices in all areas of matrimonial and family law including divorce litigation, mediation and arbitration, custody and parenting time issues, alimony and child support, separation and property settlement agreements, adoption and guardianship advice, domestic partnership matters under the Domestic Partnership Act, domestic violence and sexual abuse, and palimony. She is also a trained collaborative lawyer and divorce mediator, and has argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court on behalf of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the New Jersey chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
A Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), Ms. Lawrence is President of the Academy’s New Jersey Chapter and has been certified by the AAML as a Family Law Arbitrator. She is also a volunteer attorney with the New Jersey State Bar Military Legal Assistance Program, which provides pro bono legal assistance to New Jersey residents who have served overseas or in active duty of the armed forces after September 11, 2001. Past President of the New Jersey State Bar Association, she is Past Chair of the NJSBA Family Law Section, has served as a Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and is Past President of the Somerset County Bar Association. Ms. Lawrence has served on the District XIII Attorney Ethics Committee and has been a member of the New Jersey Association for Justice, the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, the New Jersey Collaborative Law Group, the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM) and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. A Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, she was appointed to the Somerset County Domestic Violence Working Group as a Representative of the Somerset County Family Law Section and has also been a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the American Bar Association. She serves on the Matrimonial Certification Committee that oversees the statewide matrimonial attorney certification process and has been an attorney volunteer at Safe+Sound Somerset.
Ms. Lawrence is a frequent lecturer at divorce and family law programs and has been a senior editor of the New Jersey Family Lawyer. She is a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) and a member and Barrister of the Central New Jersey American Inns of Court. Ms. Lawrence is a recipient of the Young Lawyers Division Professional Achievement Award, the Carol Murphy Award bestowed by the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey, and is a 3-time recipient of the Annual Legislative Recognition Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association. She is also the recipient of the 2008 Outstanding Woman in Somerset County from the Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women, the 2009 Kean University Distinguished Alumna award and the Saul Tischler Award from the NJSBA Family Law Section in 2023.
Ms. Lawrence received her B.A. from Kean University and her J.D., summa cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law. While in law school, she was awarded the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers’ Award in addition to serving as the Student Director of the Family Law Clinic. - Jennifer Marino Thibodaux, Esq.
- JMT Speaks, LLC
- Maritza Rodriguez, Esq.
- Rodriguez Law Firm LLC, Newark
The practice of law demands focus, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. But even the most dedicated attorneys can reach a point where the pressures of the profession begin to take a toll. The very traits that drive success such as precision, diligence, and determination, can also contribute to chronic stress, burnout, and diminished well-being. When combined with personal responsibilities, these pressures can quietly erode mental health, impact decision-making, and increase the risk of professional and ethical missteps.
Left unaddressed, this strain doesn’t just affect attorneys, it can compromise client representation and outcomes.
Join the NJSBA and the Supreme Court Committee on Mental Wellness for an insightful and practical continuing legal education program designed to help attorneys recognize, manage, and respond to the weight of their work. This program will explore the intersection of mental health and ethical obligations, offering strategies to maintain professional competence while safeguarding personal well-being.
In this program, you will:
- Identify early warning signs of stress, burnout, and mental health challenges in legal practice
- Understand the connection between attorney well-being and ethical compliance
- Learn practical tools to manage stress and maintain clarity under pressure
- Explore resources and support systems available within the legal community
Prioritize your well-being. Protect your clients. Strengthen your practice.
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