The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Board of Trustees acted on several items at its June meeting.
On the Association’s Madden advocacy, the Board agreed to submit comments to the Supreme Court’s Working Group on Attorney Pro Bono Assignments that call for the abolishment of the Madden assignment system of mandatory pro bono representation. The comments, recommended by the NJSBA’s Judicial Administration Committee and largely due the NJSBA’s Right to Counsel report, also provide a series of recommendations to achieve effective representation for litigants who are unable to afford counsel.
Trustees voted to create an award for the late Assignment Judge Lisa P. Thornton, the state’s first Black female assignment judge, who passed away unexpectedly in May. The award would be presented annually at the Diverse Judges Reception, with the award criteria established by the NJSBA’s Diversity Committee.
The Board adopted an $11 million fiscal year budget for 2023-2024 that allows funding for Association to continue providing meaningful membership experiences, including new member benefits like the Member Assistance Program for mental health services, the legal research tool Decisis and enhanced CLE programming. The budget projects roughly $11 million in revenue and a breakeven bottom line.
The Board agreed to seek amicus status in State v. Cunningham, a case that will decide the reliability of the Alcotest 9510, a breath alcohol measuring machine set to become the standard DWI testing device in New Jersey.
The Board supported the following reports and/or legislation:
NJ Law Revision Commission Draft Tentative Report Regarding the Mandatory Attorney Review Provision in the NJ Statute of Frauds, N.J.S. 25:1-5(h) – The report examines the Supreme Court decision in Moynihan v. Lynch, which addressed the validity of the mandatory attorney-review requirement for palimony agreements and recommends changes to the statute for the Legislature to consider.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2023
Contact: Thomas Nobile
Director of Communications
Tel: 732-937-7527
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