May 19, 2022
For Immediate Release
Contact: Thomas Nobile
732-937-7527
NEW BRUNSWICK – Jeralyn L. Lawrence, a Somerset County family law attorney, was sworn in last night as the 124th President of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), the state’s largest association of lawyers, judges and legal professionals.
At the NJSBA’s Annual Meeting and Convention, Lawrence took the oath of office from New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, becoming the 10th woman to lead the Association. She thanked the many relationships she forged through the organized bar and the people who helped further her career. The power of the NJSBA to shape laws and advocate for the profession, she said, is what “inspired me to want to be the president of this great organization. I am deeply grateful to be president of this Association.”
“The ability to advocate and to bring about change is infectious. The power to identify issues within the practice, to work collaboratively with all stakeholders and to present real solutions that are then acted upon and that achieve results is incredibly rewarding,” Lawrence said. “I relish the role of being part of a team working to address issues that affect our lives.”
“Putting Lawyers First” is Lawrence’s mantra for her term, a platform that aims to make life in the field better for attorneys. To that end, Lawrence announced the creation of an hoc committee with the goal of providing attorneys the tools they need to survive and thrive in the ever-changing legal landscape. Some issues the committee will address involve helping attorneys navigate the world of working ethically in a virtual environment, looking at roadblocks attorneys face in seeking payment for their work and finding creative ways to engage new members of the profession.
“Our job now is to find ways to handle these stressors better and be open to real, meaningful change,” Lawrence said. “We are always under enormous pressure and always will be, but it will help for the profession to take our needs seriously and use that as incentive to find ways to make this practice better, for ourselves, our courts and our clients. When the NJSBA mobilizes and puts its weight behind a challenge, it can be an impressive force. There is much work to do and it is my privilege and pleasure to do it.”
Lawrence said she also plans to continue the NJSBA’s significant role in amicus and legislative advocacy to codify the laws, rules and cases that affect the practice of law.
Lawrence is a managing member and founder of Lawrence Law, a practice devoted to matrimonial, divorce and family law. Her involvement in the NJSBA is extensive. Currently she is involved with the Women in the Profession, Solo and Small-Firm and Family Law sections. She is also on the Finance and Operations, Insurance Benefits, Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments, Meeting Arrangements and Program, and Pandemic Task Force committees.
Along with her involvement with the NJSBA, Lawrence serves as president for New Jersey’s chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Lawrence lives in Watchung with her husband, John. She has three children and four stepchildren.
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Jeralyn L. Lawrence sworn in as NJSBA President
Contact: NJSBA Communications Department
Tel: 732-937-7527
Email: [email protected]