William H. Mergner Jr. took the oath of office on May 16, 2024 as president of the New Jersey State Bar Association for the 2024-2025 term, assuming leadership over the state’s largest organization of legal professionals.

New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart J. Rabner swore in Mergner at the NJSBA’s Annual Meeting and Convention in Atlantic City. A host of Mergner’s friends, family and colleagues – along with the NJSBA’s Executive Committee and Board of Trustees – were on hand to watch the West Caldwell attorney begin his term in the Association’s 125^th year.

In a speech at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Mergner said he plans to focus his term on three key issues – continuing the NJSBA’s study of artificial intelligence and its applications in the legal profession, combating the threat of non-lawyers practicing law and owning firms and boosting membership in the Association’s sections and committees.

“I cannot emphasize enough the influence our Association has when our members are engaged. As we all know, when the state bar mobilizes around a cause, we can speak powerfully on the issues that face our profession,” Mergner said.

The rapid rise of AI has prompted complex ethical questions about its place in the law and how far the technology will encroach on the work lawyers do, Mergner said. In the next year, he will look to a recent report by the NJSBA’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in the Law as a guide on how to address these issues.

“I pledge to further the Association’s review of the complex legal and ethical questions raised by AI and how attorneys can best use the technology to their advantage,” Mergner said. “My hope is that we strike the right balance in finding how AI can help attorneys deliver legal services while protecting the essential role they play in the law and society.”

Mergner acknowledged the Association’s many sections and committees as the “heartbeat of the NJSBA,” the groups relied on for expertise and insight on the most pressing issues in the profession. Increasing participation in the sections and committees is vital to building interest in the Association and expanding its mission to serve as the voice of New Jersey attorneys, he said.

“This year, I encourage everyone who can attest to the benefits of your membership to pay it forward and spread the word among your colleagues and friends, as I pledge to do. With a vibrant and dedicated membership, we can sustain the Association and its mission for decades to come,” Mergner said.

With Chief Justice Rabner in attendance, Mergner reaffirmed the NJSBA’s commitment to promoting judicial independence. The Association denounced a recent proposal in the state Senate that would shift control of Appellate Division appointments from the Chief Justice to the Governor and Senate. If adopted, it would threaten the independence of the Judiciary, further expose the courts to the political process and likely create a vacancy crisis in the Appellate Division, as seen in the Superior Courts, Mergner said.

“New Jersey has a stellar Appellate Court, indeed one of the nation’s best, due in large part to the Chief Justice’s wisdom in making appointments to ensure a balanced, fair and complete bench of appellate judges,” Mergner said. “I want to be clear that the Association firmly opposes this proposal and will remain the Judiciary’s strongest advocate in promoting its independence.”

Mergner is co-managing partner at Leary, Bride, Mergner & Bongiovanni, in Cedar Knolls, where he practices civil litigation. An accomplished trial attorney, Mergner has tried hundreds of cases to verdict in New Jersey’s state and federal courts. He handles the defense of construction site accidents, multi-party construction defect cases, environmental/toxic tort claims, products liability claims, professional liability claims including medical, engineering, agents/brokers claims, as well as complex general liability claims involving serious injury or death. He has also overseen a significant number of appeals before the New Jersey Appellate Division, the New Jersey Supreme Court, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and has numerous favorable published and unpublished decisions.

Prior to becoming NJSBA president, Mergner’s service in the Association was extensive. As a former Trustee of the Association, he was active with the Pandemic Task Force and spearheaded its work on the resumption of jury trials, which released several reports. He was chair of the Association’s Special Task Force on the Practice of Law, Amicus Committee, Civil Trial Bar Section and Judicial Administration. He is a member of the Meeting Arrangements and Program, Judicial Administration, and Insurance Defense committees.

Mergner graduated magna cum laude from Catholic University of America in 1982. He received his Juris Doctor from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in 1985.

He lives in West Caldwell with his wife, Patty. They have two sons.

Watch this video about NJSBA President William H. Mergner Jr.

William H. Mergner Jr.
2024-2025 NJSBA President