NEW BRUNSWICK – Timothy F. McGoughran became the immediate past president of the New Jersey State Bar Association on May 16.
McGoughran, a family law attorney in Ocean Township, said leading the Association as its NJSBA’s 125th president was one of the greatest honors in his professional life.
“This year has flown by so quickly and has been more rewarding than I ever dreamed. Serving as president of this great organization and on behalf of the dedicated and compassionate volunteer members of the New Jersey legal community has been an incredible gift,” McGoughran said.
Under McGoughran’ s leadership, the Association took concrete steps to support mental health in the legal profession. In July, the NJSBA launched the Member Assistance Program, a service that has helped thousands of attorneys and their immediate family to get the resources they need to stem the decline in mental health and wellness that threatens our profession. McGoughran also supported the expansion of mental health diversion programs in the state to help nonviolent criminal defendants who suffer from a mental health disorder.
“Mental help for criminal defendants has long been needed and is now a reality as the state begins to expand mental health diversion programs in courts across the state. This is an effort the NJSBA has supported at every step of the way and one we continue to support for statewide implementation,” McGoughran said.
McGoughran was also a staunch advocate for the state Senate and governor to address the vacancy crisis in New Jersey’s Superior Courts. During his tenure, judicial vacancies in the state dropped to the lowest rate since 2019.
The past president’s involvement with the NJSBA traces back to his early years as a lawyer. McGoughran was a member of the NJSBA’s Young Lawyers Division and went on to chair the Association’s Family Law Section, before joining the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. He served as president of the Monmouth Bar Association for the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2007.
McGoughran is the founding member of the Law Office of Timothy F. McGoughran, a family law firm he manages in Ocean Township with his wife, Allison. He provides counsel on all aspects of family law, from divorce proceedings, alimony and child custody to asset protection and domestic violence cases.
He is also a former municipal court judge in Monmouth County.