While today is the deadline for filing taxes it also marks the count down until we are together in Atlantic City for the 43^rd annual Boardwalk Seminar. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at Harrah’s later this week. I will be lecturing in several rooms, visiting all the seminars to make remarks and providing the President’s Address on Thursday morning at 9:00 am. Please feel free  - or if we have never met, feel free to come up and introduce yourself to me  - to provide any feedback you have about the meeting or the association in general.

ACPE Opinion 745 – Referral Fees:

The Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics published Opinion 745 – Referral Fees on March 12, 2024. NJAJ filed timely its Brief in Support of Petition for Review of Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion 745. On behalf of the membership, I extend my gratitude to the Amicus Curiae Committee for their review of the matter and to Michael Donahue, Esq. and the lawyers at Stark & Stark for drafting the petition and writing the brief. I will keep you informed as information develops.

BOARDWALK SEMINAR 2024:

The Boardwalk Seminar features 29 CLE programs over three days with 329 faculty members speaking. The exhibit hall will have 220 booths on the Wildwood and Avalon levels of Harrah’s Conference Center with over 600 representatives in those booths – bring your business cards! The exhibitors have products and services to both assist you in your practice and to more effectively represent your clients. And take advantage of the opportunity to network with your “fellow’ attorneys as  more than 1,500 trial lawyers will be attending  the Boardwalk Seminar,  the largest statewide gathering of trial lawyers in New Jersey.

The Annual Membership Meeting and Election will take place at 9:00 am on Thursday, April 18 during the Boardwalk Seminar. At the same time, membership will vote on the 2024-25 slate of officers.

This year’s Boardwalk Seminar features the 30^th Annual Women Litigators’ Luncheon starting at 11:30 am on Thursday April 18.  Linda Lipsen, AAJ’s CEO is the keynote speaker. The NJAJ PAC Appreciation Luncheon will be held at 11:30 am on Friday, April 19. The PAC luncheon is held annually as a way to say thank you to our  members who support the PAC and provide the necessary resources to allow NJAJ to have a voice in Trenton. If you are not contributing to PAC, there will be PAC cards available onsite. Support at any level is welcome and appreciated.

Social events include the New Members Breakfast taking place from 8:00 am – 8:50 am Thursday morning, Happy Hour in the exhibit hall from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Thursday,  and later that evening, from 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm, the New Lawyers Party at the Pool at Harrah’s.

You can earn almost a full compliance period of MCLE credits by attending the Boardwalk Seminar, including Ethics credits and Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias credits. Most of the programs also qualify for Pennsylvania and New York credits as well. There is still time to register for the Boardwalk Seminar so act now.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

The Legislature is currently working through its annual budget process and therefore, it has not taken action on bills  for the last month. Commissioners from governmental departments and members of the public have been testifying about funding needs. While the budget process will continue until the June 30th deadline, regular legislative business will begin again in May. The NJAJ staff and leadership have continued to review legislation to develop the association’s position and provide feedback to legislators during the budget process. No matter how much I might try, mere words cannot express enough my gratitude to Cornelius Larkin, Deborah Bozarth and Ann Vardeman for their assistance with these important matters.

UPCOMING WEBINARS:

As President of NJAJ, I also sit as a Trustee of the NJAJ Educational Foundation. The Foundation Trustees met last week and approved two webinars. The first is a webinar to educate members on the pathway to serving as a New Jersey Superior Court judge. The second is a joint venture with the AAJ National College of Advocacy on Voir Dire. Both webinars will be produced in late May. As program details are developed they will be posted to the NJAJ website.

INSTALLATION DINNER:

The Installation Dinner, where the 2024-25 officers will be sworn in, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 18 at The Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ. You can purchase tickets and place an ad in the ad journal at the website. This is a great opportunity to network with 350 members and exhibitors who attend annually while also supporting the association. I encourage you to attend as we install Adam B. Lederman, Esq. as NJAJ’s President.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:

The Women Trial Lawyers Caucus is holding another Roundtable event on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. There is no charge for this virtual event, however you must be a Regular Member of NJAJ to attend. All Regular Members of NJAJ are welcome.

The 18^th Annual Ryder Cup will be played on Thursday, August 15 at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, NJ. This is a wonderful social event that allows members to mingle with sponsors. If you do not golf you can attend lunch or dinner or both. The outing features a golf clinic as well.

Because it is never too early to mark your calendars – the Meadowlands Seminar 2024 will be held Wednesday – Friday, November 20 – 22, 2024 at the Hilton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ. The co-chairs have been appointed and will meet early next month to begin program development.

Two reminders in closing, get to the post office by midnight to file those taxes and call headquarters at (609) 396-0096 or go online to register for the Boardwalk Seminar.