The $500 Crab Cake Becomes a $500 Mitzvah

N E W S F R O M T H E N E W J E R S E Y S TAT E B A R A S S O C I AT I O N VOLUME 3 | NO. 3 Bar Communiqué The $500 Crab Cake Becomes a $500 Mitzvah Jerry Krivitzky has never been a very logical person. At the age of 29, he left his legal practice behind and embarked on an entirely new career—publishing the Lawyer’s Diary. Today the former medical malpractice attorney spends much of what little free time he has shuttling strangers to medical consultations in his small plane, taking the $200-an-hour operating costs and related expenses out of his own pocket. “There’s no doubt that a lot of what I’ve done in my life would be considered pretty illogical by some people,” said Krivitzky, who also operates the New Jersey Lawyers’ Service, eLaw.com and American Clerical Service. “The amount of money it costs to fly the plane makes some people wonder about what I’m doing, but I don’t have any doubts. I also don’t have any regrets about the professional decision I made almost 20 years ago to give up my practice. While I really did enjoy practicing law, what I do now, both professionally and personally, really suits me better.” Krivitzky’s decision to leave legal practice was based on a desire for more control and creativity in his professional life, and grew to maturity over time. His decision to take flight in his own private plane slammed into his consciousness suddenly following 9/11, when the terrorist attack left some of his employees injured. “As a little kid I loved to go to the old Newark Airport and watch the planes. But while it was always a dream of mine to pursue flying, I just pushed that dream aside until after 9/11, when—like a lot of people—I came face to face with the fact that life is short, and that if you have something on your to-do list you better get doing it,” said Krivitzky, whose New York Citybased American Clerical Services was located across the street from the World Trade Center. Beyond fulfilling a childhood dream, he saw learning to pilot his own plane as a necessary convenience in the post-9/11 world, never envisioning it would one day result in volunteer service. Continued on page 7 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Inside this issue President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 An Overview of NJSBA’s Battle Surrounding Medical Malpractice . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Software Discounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Mid-Year Event Offered Both Education and Relaxation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Do We Know Where to Find You? . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lower Insurance Costs/Specialty Services Available From The NIA Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Young Lawyers Honored With Annual Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 New Log-in Procedure Now in Place . . . . . . . . 9 NJSBA Honors Welchman and Merck With Pro Bono Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Grow Your Career With Section and YLD Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Your NJSBA Membership Benefits Keep on Growing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Section News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Family Law Section Plans Big Fun on the Bayou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Members in the News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Free Online Legal Research Tool a Hit With Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The NJSBA, like other bar associations, is always striving to provide meaningful benefits to our members. Most often, this takes the form of tangible benefits like discounts on various professional and personal goods and services. But there is another significant benefit we offer, which is, perhaps, not fully appreciated—the efforts of our Amicus Committee and volunteer attorneys to identify, brief and argue cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court. In the past year, the NJSBA participated in a wide range of amicus curiae matters in the Supreme Court. In three of the cases argued last term—Matter of Keri (estate planning); Weishaus v. Weishaus (equitable distribution); and Macedo v. Dello Russo (professional advertising)—the Court agreed with the NJSBA’s position. The Court carried over for re-argument a fourth case, Banco Popular v. Gandi (debtor/creditor counseling), and invited the NJSBA to again participate. We are also awaiting a decision in Mani v. Mani (alimony). In addition to these cases, the Bar Association has successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to participate in DiProspero v. Penn (personal injury) and Puder v. Buechel (legal malpractice). Finally, there are several cases that are of interest to the NJSBA in which we are hoping to participate: Pasqua v. Council (right to pro bono counsel); Brunswick Hills Racquet Club v. Route 18 Shopping Associates (extent of duty of candor); and Jerista v. Murray (legal malpractice). The Board of Trustees recently presented awards to lawyers who volunteered their time to assist us in the matters argued last term. They are: John DeBartolo, Christopher Carey, Bonnie Frost, Richard Gallucci, Glenn Harris, Kathleen Murphy, David Rubin and Steven Suflas. For their service, I offer our thanks. EDWIN J. MCCREEDY President New Jersey State Bar Association 2 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 An Overview of NJSBA’s Battle Surrounding Medical Malpractice THE NEW JERSEY STATE BAR ASSOCIATION CONTINUES TO STRONGLY OPPOSE THE $75 ANNUAL FEE GOVERNOR JAMES MCGREEVY AND THE LEGISLATURE IMPOSED ON LAWYERS, AND WE WILL COMMENCE AN ACTION IN SUPERIOR COURT TO CHALLENGE ITS CONSTITUTIONALITY. THE FEE WILL EXTRACT APPROXIMATELY $4 MILLION A YEAR FROM THE POCKETS OF LAWYERS, TO BE SQUANDERED ON A FLAWED PLAN INTENDED TO ADDRESS AN UNPROVEN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE “CRISIS.” REVENUE FROM THE FEE WOULD REIMBURSE DOCTORS FOR THE COST OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE, AND HELP PAY OFF THE STUDENT LOANS OF OB/GYNS (WITH SOME PAYMENTS OBVIOUSLY BEING MADE BY YOUNG LAWYERS WHO ARE PAYING OFF THEIR OWN TUITION BILLS). We believe it is wholly inappropriate for lawyers to be targeted in this way. Statistics reveal that the number of medical malpractice cases has dropped, as has the size of settlements and jury verdicts. The governor and Legislature have failed to address the real problems of bad doctors who should not be licensed, the questionable investment and management practices of the state’s largest malpractice insurer, and the manner in which insurers manipulate the market. Background In the summer of 2002, physicians staged a mass protest on the steps of the state Capitol demanding relief from escalating medical malpractice insurance premiums. A host of medical malpractice bills were introduced in the Legislature during that summer that focused on issues such as awards, statutes of limitations, trial proceedings, insurance coverage, reporting requirements and establishing an Assembly Task Force on Medical Malpractice Insurance with subpoena powers. With doctors threatening to leave the state and close their practices, and with President George W. Bush joining the ranks calling for caps on jury awards, the NJSBA called for a study commission to address the myriad issues influencing the severe increases in medical malpractice insurance premiums for some physicians in high-risk specialties in certain geographic areas of the state. In a letter to the editor, then NJSBA President Richard J. Badolato stated that the Administrative Office of the Courts reported an 18 percent reduction in the number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed over the past four years, countering the accusation that runaway jury awards were the root cause of the problem. His letter formally called for a study commission to “consider the many facets of this difficult problem, with real solutions that enable doctors to continue seeing patients while allowing injured parties to seek redress in the courts.” He closed the letter with the slogan, “Access to care should not compete with access to justice.” In January 2003, President Badolato established a blue ribbon task force to study these critical issues. The Legislature and governor did not heed the call to dig deep into the facts, take a serious look at the problem from every angle and work toward long-term solutions. Nothing happened, so the doctors blasted state government for inaction, complaining of high jury awards and demanding caps as a solution. They shut their doors on their patients. They went on strike. They went door to door campaigning for New Jersey citizens to vote for candidates who supported their platform for caps on jury awards. Their effort failed, and a Democratic majority was elected to both houses of the New Jersey Legislature, regaining Senate control after almost a decade. Amidst this maelstrom of misinformation and activism, the NJSBA held fast to its position, calling for a state study commission and also questioned the role played by insurance companies. The NJSBA was not alone. The Consumer Federation of America was one of many who pointed the finger at insurance companies for scrambling the facts. J. Robert Hunter, an actuary and CFA director of insurance said, “The cause of the current crisis is the same as it was back in the 70s and again in the mid 80s. It is the economic cycle of the insurance industry and the industry’s own business practices that are largely to blame for the rate shock that doctors are experiencing.” Hunter identified serious errors in a Department of Health and Human Services report provided to President Bush on escalating malpractice insurance rates. He stated in a letter to the president, “Insurer pricing practices of under-pricing in a “soft” insurance market followed by sharp increases as the market becomes more competitive are the key culprits in the severe rate increases that are now occurring.” BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 3 The Star-Ledger printed editorial after editorial calling for an investigation of insurance companies. A December 2002 editorial stated, “The insurance companies should be providing more answers. Instead, they have created chaos that obscures the facts behind malpractice premiums high enough to drive doctors out of practice.” That same editorial charged the Legislature to “authorize the study and take a close look at what is happening in the courts before it considers a cap or sets an amount.” In October and December 2002, May 2003 and March 2004, representatives of the NJSBA testified before the state Legislature on medical malpractice legislation. Before a joint public hearing of the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and Health and Human Services Committee on Medical Malpractice Reform, current NJSBA President Edwin J. McCreedy testified that “the role that insurance companies have played in escalating premiums and denying coverage must be closely examined,” in light of allegations that “dramatic increases in doctors’ professional liability premiums are more the result of bad business decisions by insurers than losses due to malpractice verdicts.” In Washington, a delegation of NJSBA representatives led by then President Badolato and President- Elect Karol Corbin Walker lobbied New Jersey members of Congress to defeat President Bush’s proposal to cap pain and suffering awards. Over the past two years, doctors have rallied for caps on medical malpractice awards, saying that jury awards were behind skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance premiums. At the same time, insurance companies remained tight-lipped on the basis that the data simply was not available. On May 23, 2003, Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman Neil Cohen announced they would seek approval by the full Assembly for subpoena power to compel insurance companies to turn over the necessary data. Cohen said, “There’s been a very eerie silence from the insurance carriers in this whole debate,” and that attempts to get the insurers to release data voluntarily were unsuccessful. Weinberg stated that, “We have gotten so much diametrically opposed information.” Cohen chairs the insurance committee and Weinberg chairs the health committee. The ink was not even dry after Governor McGreevey signed into law the New Jersey Medical Care Access and Responsibility and Patients First Act on June 7, 2004, when U.S. District Court Judge William G. Bassler ordered the Division of Consumer Affairs to make public information showing that confi- dential settlements, jury awards and other payouts in medical malpractice actions steadily declined in sharp opposition to the escalating premiums being charged by insurance companies. The state also released information showing that out of 2,333 physicians who made malpractice payments since March 15, 1999, 363 made more than one payment. The release of this information confirmed what the NJSBA steadfastly maintained since the first rumblings of the alleged crisis: that the so-called crisis is unrelated to the actual number of claims and their outcomes, that other factors including faulty insurance investment decisions are at play, and that medical malpractice jury awards arise from public juries, not from attorneys and their clients. The Legislature’s hasty efforts resulted in Governor McGreevey signing a bill that did not solve the problem of the alleged crisis; rather, it shifted the burden by establishing an assessment on attorneys and others to subsidize a fund to help physicians with their medical malpractice insurance premiums. In a June 7 media release, President McCreedy stated, “the immediate impact of this bill penalizes the lawyers of this state for a public health issue not of their making.” He also stated that the association continues to believe that the Software Discounts NJSBA’s latest member benefit is guaranteed to make your professional life simpler, and at 20 percent less than what it would cost non-members. Under the new benefit program, members receive a 20 percent discount on purchases of PCLaw/PCLawPro software systems and modules. Used by over 30,000 law firms over the past 22 years, PCLaw & PCLawPro provide integrated time and billing (time tracking, client disbursements, accounts receivable and productivity reports), accounting (check writing, trust accounting, general ledger, financial statements and management reporting) and practice management (calendar, contacts, billing, document and email management, document creation and conflict search) software for firms with one to 200 timekeepers. For more information on your latest member benefit, call Member Services at 732-249-5000, or visit our website at www.njsba.com and login with your member ID and password. 4 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 best way to reduce costs of medical malpractice insurance is to reduce the incidence of medical malpractice. NJSBA members proactively responded to this grossly unfair attempt to force lawyers to pay for doctor’s reduced premiums and student loan forgiveness. They wrote letters by the hundreds and called and met with their local legislators. The data released by Judge Bassler’s order shows that some doctors are sued frequently, but medical malpractice insurance payments had decreased in 2002 and 2003. In the same Star-Ledger article announcing the judge’s order, an attorney for one doctor was quoted as saying that since the settlements were made in confidentiality, how does one play the game when the rules have changed? Since when did people’s lives become a game? Since the onset of this crisis, and following the action of the Legislature and governor in approving and finally signing the A-50 legislation into law, the NJSBA testified and wrote letters to legislators, the governor, the editors of New Jersey’s major daily newspapers and to constituents. NJSBA representatives met with members of the state Legislature, Governor’s Office, Department of Health, Department of Banking and Insurance and other interest groups. Some may view the Patients First Act as a beginning in working toward a resolution to the medical malpractice insurance crisis. However, the establishment of the Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Premium Assistance Fund, according to Section 27 of P.L. 2004, c. 17, “unfairly assesses lawyers for doing their job and protecting legitimate victims of medical malpractice,” said President McCreedy in a July 1 letter to the governor. The letter called for a repeal of Section 27 and for an investigation of the integrity of information provided by insurance companies. President McCreedy further stated, “Given the medical malpractice insurance companies’ dubious candor and remarkable silence during legislative hearings and public debate on this important issue, the legitimacy of the fund is even more questionable than we initially asserted.” Press releases, letters to the governor and Legislature, letters to the editor, the Assembly and Senate voting records and the new physicians profiles online, via www.njdoctorlist.com, are all available through the NJSBA website, at www.njsba.com, under “Medical Malpractice Insurance Updates.” NJSBA members are urged to continue to check the site for updates and breaking news concerning the malpractice insurance situation and the fund. Mid-Year Event Offered Both Education and Relaxation St. Andrews Bay, Scotland, rolled out the welcome mat for NJSBA members and their guests when they attended Mid-Year Meeting 2004 from October 31 to November 6. Educational programming, social events and sightseeing were included in a busy week of learning, networking and discovery in the land of mists and castles. A host of educational programs, cosponsored with the Institute for Continuing Legal Education and offering CLE credit, took place on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday morning of the meeting. New Jersey and Scottish speakers presented programs on international and family law, heraldic law, human rights issues in the U.S. and Scotland, environmental and insurance litigation, and intellectual property issues concerning scotch production. The St. Andrews Bay Resort— situated on a spectacular cliff-top location—served as the official headquarters for the association’s mid-year gathering. Among the areas many attractions was historic St. Andrews, home of the 1413 St. Andrews University attended by Prince William and the 1834 Royal and Ancient Golf Club. The significance of the medieval village as a military outpost, the religious seat of Scotland and the site of countless historical events made St. Andrews the ideal location for a study of Scottish history and culture. St. Andrews Castle contained the ruins a 13th century castle that was the site of many of the bloodiest episodes of the Reformation. St. Andrews Cathedral housed the remains of what was once the largest cathedral in Scotland, and the Cathedral Museum exhibited a collection of early Christian and medieval monuments, Celtic and medieval carved stones, and other relics found on the site. The St. Andrews Bay Resort also boasted two outstanding golf courses. The Torrance and Devlin courses were both declared by Travel and Leisure Golf Magazine to be among the 20 best overseas courses, worldwide, built in the last five years. The NJSBA hosted a tournament at the Devlin course on November 2. In all, Mid-Year 2004 offered NJSBA members a wonderful opportunity to attend an assortment of insightful education programs, explore the Scottish countryside, socialize with their peers and relax in a luxury setting. BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 5 Lower Insurance Costs/Specialty Services Available From The NIA Group THROUGH AN EXCLUSIVE MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NIA GROUP, LLC, NJSBA MEMBERS CAN NOW SHOP FOR INSURANCE AT DISCOUNTED GROUP RATES AND OBTAIN CUSTOM SOLUTIONS FROM ADVISORS WITH EXPERIENCE IN SERVING THE LEGAL INDUSTRY. The NIA Group offers custom insurance and investment plans for all facets of business, home and life. With over 250 law firms as clients, including 18 years managing the insurance program of the NJSBA, The NIA Group is well positioned to manage the unique personal and professional needs of lawyers and their firms. The company is one of the largest privately held insurance brokerages in the country and has several office locations throughout New Jersey. To ensure that lawyers obtain comprehensive, quality coverage at competitive prices, The NIA Group has purposefully established relationships with over 20 major insurance carriers offering lawyers professional liability. They also represent the best providers in other aspects of insurance and investment management, including property and casualty insurance, employee benefits, life, health, disability, and 401K and estate planning. Exclusive VIP@NIA Service The NIA Group has extended its exclusive individual wealth and risk management program—VIP@NIA—to all NJSBA members. VIP@NIA is a highly personalized program that is customized according to a client’s unique lifestyle with exceptional service from the best specialists in the field. Consultation is provided at home or in the office— wherever it’s most convenient to you. Coverage offerings include automobile, homeowners, jewelry and fine art and umbrella insurance. Life, Long-Term Coverage at Discounted Group Rates The NIA Group has recently developed a special program for NJSBA members offering long-term care, life and long-term disability insurance at reduced group rates. For more information on these programs, contact NIA senior insurance advisor Billy Diana at (800) 669-6330 or by email at bdiana@niagroup.com. Log On for a Free Lawyers Professional Liability Quote Through the NJSBA website, members can access a Lawyers Professional Liability NJ Market Summary and an application form to obtain quotes from NJSBA representatives at The NIA Group. From the home page at www.njsba.com, click on the Membership Information button, select Benefits and then Member Insurance Programs. Be sure to log on with your NJSBA Member ID number and password to access the downloadable documents and links to the NIA website. For more information on lawyers professional liability or other insurance services available to NJSBA members, please contact Robert Long, NIA’s NJSBA representative, at 1-888-8904650 or via email at rlong@niagroup.com. Do We Know Where to Find You? If you’ve recently relocated your office or changed your email address or phone number, it only takes a minute to make sure we don’t lose touch. Log onto our website at www.njsba.com using your member ID number and password, and update your records in no time, guaranteeing your NJSBA notices, subscriptions to New Jersey Lawyer Magazine and the Bar Communique, and other valuable materials continue to reach you uninterrupted. From our home page, click on “Member Information” under the index listings on the left-hand side of the page. Then click on “Change of Address” in the box on the right-hand side of the page. It’s that simple. You may also email changes to sfrost@njsba.com or complete the change of address form found on page 27 of this newsletter. 6 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 MEMBER PROFILE Continued from Page 1 “Probably the main reason I moved ahead so quickly to pursue my pilot’s license was that I realized that after 9/11 air travel was going to become far more difficult and far more time consuming,” recalled Krivitzky. “Since I travel a lot for business, it seemed like a logical thing to pursue my pilot’s license, buy my own plane and be able to do my business traveling without the hassle of commercial flights.” So a little over a year ago, with his pilot’s license in hand, Krivitzky purchased his own single-engine, fourseat plane—a Cessna Skylane—and in addition to his East Coast business trips began flying friends and family to dinner destinations and on occasional sightseeing trips. “Then I discovered what pretty much all amateur small plane pilots discover—in no time you’ve run out of things to do and places to go,” he said. “You can only fly down to Maryland for what ends up being $500 crab cakes so many times before it starts getting old.” While discussing his dilemma with a pilot friend of his, Krivitzky discovered Massachusetts-based Angel Flight was looking for volunteer pilots. After a bit of research, he decided to apply to join the agency’s stable of pilots. The nonprofit organization uses volunteer pilots to transport patients to medical treatment appointments around the country, and since meeting the 600-hour flight time and the instrument rating requirements 10 months ago, Krivitzky has been flying an average of two missions a month. Most of his volunteer flights end in Boston, New York or Baltimore, and each involves a single client, usually someone undergoing experimental treatment their own. “What we do is provide an air shuttle service for patients who wouldn’t be able to get this specialized treatment without Angel Flight’s volunteers,” said Krivitzky, who flies out of Essex County Airport in Fairfield. “It’s not an air ambulance service where patients need critical care and medical staff onboard. We’re helping people in financial need who, for example, live in remote locations and may have undergone transplants and need to get to follow-up visits with their doctors in an out-of-state city.” Although he is still considered a novice among Angel Flight pilots, some of the cases Krivitzky has transported will likely stand out in his memory for years to come. Among them is a gentleman whose condition, rather than his financial need, qualified him for shuttle service. ‘I’ve flown him to appointments a few times,” said Krivitzky. “He is so diswithout the financial means to reach the medical facility on figured that going to an airport would just be too distressful for him. Because of his condition, he really needs to be privately transported. He even arrived at my plane shielded from view.” Another memorable trip involved an older woman who was in the final stages of a terminal illness. “I flew her to see her son,” recalled Krivitzky, “and the whole ride from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh I couldn’t figure out why she was flying to see him instead of him coming to see her. It all made sense when I finally learned she was going to visit him in prison.” Krivitzky views his volunteer work for Angel Flight as a perfect match— offering him the chance to keep his flying skills sharp and enjoy his personal passion while providing a service to people in need. “What this has allowed me to do is to turn the $500 crab cake into a $500 mitzvah,” he concluded. “And when you can do something you love and at the same time give someone else a gift, it’s the sign of a very blessed life.” And by all accounts, Krivitzky readily admits he’s definitely flying high. BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 7 Young Lawyers Honored With Annual Awards FOUR OUTSTANDING YOUNG LAWYERS WERE RECOGNIZED WITH THE YOUNG LAWYER OF THE YEAR, SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND SERVICE TO THE BAR AWARDS DURING THE NJSBA ANNUAL MEETING. THE YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION (YLD) PRESENTS THESE HONORS ANNUALLY TO ACKNOWLEDGE MEMBERS’ VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC AND LEGAL COMMUNITY. Young Lawyer of the Year Thomas H. Prol received the prestigious Young Lawyer of the Year Award, presented to a young lawyer whose personal and professional achievements merit special recognition, and who has made unique community and public service contributions, has actively participated in the organized bar and has stood out in the areas of professional knowledge, skill, integrity and courtesy. Prol is a founding member of the NJSBA’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Rights Committee, which was granted a formal charter by the NJSBA Executive Committee in January 2004. He recently co-moderated an Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) course on the New Jersey Domestic Partnership Act and served as a panelist on the “Gay Marriage and Civil Unions-Where Are We Going? Where Have We Been?” program at the NJSBA Annual Meeting. Prol presented federal and state constitutional analyses on the issue of same-sex marriage during a recent segment of New Jersey Network’s Due Process, which is funded by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. In the May 2004 edition of New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, he co-authored “Lifting a Lamp: New Jersey’s Safe Harbor for Gay and Lesbian Immigrants.” He has written articles regarding tenancy discrimination and unmarried couples, and marriage rights for same-sex couples in New York, along with serving as a contributing researcher for three years for “Solid Waste” for the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law Year in Review. A volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps for two years, Prol taught sanitation and health in Nepalese, the local language of Nepali. He also volunteered for UNICEF, presenting training in Nepalese for local government workers. An attorney with Fitzgibbons and Goovaerts in Franklin, Sussex County, Prol concentrates his practice in environmental law, business law and litigation, among other areas. He graduated from New York Law School in 2001 while working as a federal enforcement officer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He represented all law students in New York as the Second Circuit Government for the ABA’s Law Student Division and was a member of the ABA YLD Board of Governors. Prol also served as chair of the Law Students Programs Committee for the ABA Section of Environmental, Energy and Resources Law. Prol received his master’s degree in public health in 1997 from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and his bachelor’s degree in English and ecology from Emory College of Emory University in 1991. Service to the Community The founder of Girls Action Network, Inc., Elisa M. Westfield, received the Service to the Community Award. Young lawyers who have devoted substantial time and energy to community-oriented activities such as pro bono work, government service, charity involvement or other public service are candidates for the award. Westfield serves as mentor and programs and events coordinator for Girls Action Network, Inc., a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers girls from grades 7–12, with an emphasis on underserved communities. She also conducts and coordinates all of the general counsel legal work for the organization. In addition, Westfield works with her church’s Knowledge is Power (KIP) tutorial program as a French tutor when needed. Westfield’s past volunteer work includes: Association for Children of New Jersey; president of the Family Support Group in Clarksville, Tennessee; Amnesty International in Columbia, Maryland; Brussels-American Community West Point Alumni Spokesperson and Young Women Mentor; and West Point Contemporary Affairs Society Young Women Mentor. An associate with Devevoise & Plimpton in New York City, Westfield concentrates her practice in mergers and acquisitions and financing. She is part of a team of lawyers at the firm 8 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 involved in advising an official delegation from Nigeria on its efforts to adopt legislation and procedures to develop a community banking and private venture fund system. Westfield is a 2002 graduate of Rutgers School of Law–Newark, where she was notes editor of the Law Review. She received her bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1991, and a master’s degree in international relations from Boston University (Belgium) in 1995. Westfield served on Senator Jon Corzine’s Congressional Nomination Board to assist in selecting nominations to the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Professional Achievement Scott D. Baron received the Professional Achievement Award, acknowledging a young lawyer who has received professional recognition through publications, excellence in a particular area of law, a significant verdict or lawchanging appellate decision, or other such professional achievement. Baron has published articles in the Annotated Financial Institution Bond, the Tort & Insurance Law Journal and the Fidelity Law Association Journal. He was also co-author of Fraudulent Conveyance or Pre-Bankruptcy Planning: Conversion of Non-Exempt Assets Into Exempt Assets, an ICLE publication. Baron has numerous reported decisions in New York federal and state courts, and New Jersey state courts. In one case involving Enron Corporation’s sureties, as co-counsel he and the defense team obtained a favorable summary judgment ruling in a published opinion in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. A partner at Wolff & Samson in West Orange, Baron concentrates his practice in commercial and construction litigation and fidelity and surety law. He is editor-in-chief of the firm’s Surety and Fidelity Newsletter. Baron is a 1994 graduate of New York University School of Law, where he served as editor of the Law Review of Social Change. He graduated from Rutgers University with highest honors in 1991. Service to the Bar Princeton attorney Dorothy Bolinsky received the Service to the Bar Award in recognition of her work with the Mercer County Bar Association. The award is presented to a young lawyer who has dedicated considerable time to bar activities at the county, state and/or national level, including specialty and minority bars. Bolinsky serves as a trustee for the Mercer County Bar Association and is a member of the association’s Real Estate Section. Elected as trustee of the Real Estate Section, Bolinsky served as vice chair of the section for one year, and section chair for two. She served for three years as co-chair for a lawyer/broker seminar and dinner that she developed and implemented as an educational improve and social event to and foster relationships between real estate attorneys and agents. Bolinsky also developed the Mercer County Real Estate Professionals Golf Outing and a Casino Night. A member of the Princeton Bar Association and the NJSBA’s Land Use Law and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law sections, she is an associate with Drinker, Biddle & Reath in Princeton, where she concentrates her practice in commercial and residential real estate acquisitions. Bolinsky is a 1996 graduate of Rutgers School of Law and was a member of the Rutgers Law Journal. She received her bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management in 1991 from Pennsylvania State University. New Log-in Procedure Now in Place Members who are still using the default password supplied by the NJSBA when logging in to our website will be asked to change their passwords the next time they visit www.njsba.com. Just follow the onscreen prompts to complete the process. Members who have already changed their password but are having trouble remembering it should click on the “edit password” prompt when they log in and enter a password reminder question. Once your password has been changed from the default setting you will be able to obtain password reminders around the clock. For help with either process, or to obtain your default password if you cannot recall it, call Member Services at 732-249-5000, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 9 NJSBA Honors Welchman and Merck With Pro Bono Awards As part of its commitment to showcasing the work of attorney volunteers who make a difference in the lives of New Jersey’s citizens, the NJSBA, at its Annual Meeting, presented its second annual Pro Bono Award to Thomas J. Welchman of Somerset, and a special recognition award to the legal department of Merck Co., Inc. for its 10-year commitment to Legal Services. The list of organizations where he volunteers, the testimony of his peers and the commitment shown by his countless hours devoted to legal services work provide only a glimpse into the unwavering efforts of Welchman on behalf of Legal Services. A former president of the board of directors for Somerset-Sussex Legal Services for more than 15 years, Welchman now serves as treasurer for Legal Services of North West Jersey (LSNWJ), an organization created in 2002 resulting from the merger of Somerset-Sussex Legal Services and three other legal services providers. Welchman served on the steering committee that guided the merger. “Tom is a shining example of the pro bono spirit,” wrote Diane K. Smith, executive director for LSNWJ, in a letter submitted by the Somerset County Bar in support of his nomination. “His efforts have made an astonishing difference in the justice system in our service area and have gone a long way in making the goal of equal justice a reality in our community.” Welchman is a vice president of the Resource Center for Women and Their Families in Somerset County, and for over 10 years has been a volunteer attorney with the resource center’s Pro Bono Legal Clinic, offering 30minute consultations to victims of domestic violence. In addition, as clinic coordinator he works to recruit additional volunteer attorneys, and reaches out to Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Legal Services of New Jersey and the ACLU to develop better coordination of pro bono legal services within the county. In her letter to the Somerset County Bar Association on Welchman’s nomination, resource center Executive Director Cathy L. Cummings also noted that he makes himself available on short notice to represent domestic violence victims. Welchman’s awareness of the particular concerns and difficulties faced by domestic violence victims “benefits the broader community as these victims are better able to move towards safety and less in need of emergency law enforcement and medical services,” she wrote. Welchman is also a former member of the board of directors and attorney for the Franklin Township Food Bank, and a cooperating attorney for the Somerset ACLU Legal Clinic. The legal department of Merck & Company was honored with a special recognition award from the NJSBA in honor of the 10th anniversary of its partnership with Legal Services of New Jersey to provide pro bono services to New Jersey’s low-income families. Merck staff attorneys handle a myriad of legal services matters, including landlord/tenant, guardianship, family law, bankruptcy and domestic violence matters. Merck’s Rahway-based attorneys have handled nearly 150 pro bono cases, while Merck’s attorneys located in Whitehouse Station have contributed in excess of 2,000 pro bono hours assisting the poor, according to Kristi L. Vaiden, president-elect of the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association. Beginning in 1996, Merck attorneys based in Upper Gwynedd assumed a leadership role in providing intake support to a walk-in clinic advising pro bono clients in legal matters. In her letter recommending the Merck Legal Department for the award, Vaiden wrote that Merck facilities in Rahway and Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and Upper Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, are providing pro bono legal services through alliances with Legal Services of New Jersey, Central Jersey Legal Services, Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Montgomery County Legal Aid Services and the Pro Bono Partnership. 10 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 Grow Your Career With Section and YLD Membership NJSBA sections and the Young Lawyers Division are a fundamental driving force behind the association, its members and New Jersey lawyers. Besides joining the NJSBA to derive professional benefits and services, section and YLD members engage in exceptional networking opportunities, sponsor valuable educational programming, and influence legislative reform. The hard-working volunteers of these NJSBA groups meet, exchange ideas, discuss important issues and challenge the status quo to come up with recommendations for the board of trustees on cutting-edge issues. This evolutionary process results in a consortium of valued opinion—a position of the New Jersey State Bar Association—that frequently results in positive change. Government Relations NJSBA sections are involved in the legislative process by drafting legislation, or advocating for or against legislation in accordance with official NJSBA position. Recently, the governor signed into law P.L. 2004, c. 132, the Uniform Probate Code. Initiated and drafted by the NJSBA, this new law makes a number of substantial changes to the provisions governing the administration of estates and trusts in the state of New Jersey and makes the affected provisions gender neutral. This law was the result of over two years of diligent work by members of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. Last year, the NJSBA recognized the important efforts of members who worked on legislation with annual Legislative Service Awards. The awards Section Activity NJSBA groups work hard to encourage new member participation, and are always looking to improve. Recently, members of the Business Law Section publicized how they can make a difference in the way business law is practiced in New Jersey. The section chair’s letter described opportunities for influencing and drafting business law legislation; participating in continuing legal education programs emphasizing business law issues; writing, reviewing and editing business law articles and other publications; and keeping business law issues in front of the NJSBA. Other key items addressed by the Business Law Section certainly apply to other NJSBA groups: networking with and learning from highly accomplished and skilled attorneys; exposure to leading-edge thinking and practice strategies; demonstrating to clients and potential referral sources a commitment to excellence; and using colleagues as a sounding board for solving difficult problems. Members can also help each other by sharing expertise and experience with highly motivated younger attorneys and advancing professionalism in the practice of law. The activities of a section are furYoung Lawyers Division The YLD leads the way in community service for the NJSBA, and frequently opens project participation to all NJSBA members. At the NJSBA Annual Meeting, the YLD sponsors a very successful professional clothing drive. NJSBA members contribute gently used professional clothing and accessories for the Hire Attire Boutique in New Brunswick. This group assists individuals making an effort to return to the work force. This past spring, the YLD held Book Drive 2004 in association with the Hudson, Gloucester, Salem, BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 were presented to NJSBA members who worked on medical malpractice reform, guardianship, probate matters dealing with inheritance tax laws, proposed regulations governing parity between state and federal banks, and prohibitions on the imposition of the death penalty for individuals who suffer from mental retardation. ther delineated with the creation of special subcommittees relative to the practice area. For example, the Business Law Section recently expanded its menu of substantive committees to include securities, legal opinions, environmental law, corporate governance, professionalism, family and small business, uniform state laws and business entities. Another example of a section with a host of substantive committees is Banking Law. This section has an extremely active group of subcommittees, including financial transactions, consumer finance, financial services litigation, bank regulatory and legislative. The substantive subcommittees of the various sections provide great opportunities to fine tune practice skills with colleagues who are at the top of their game, and to meet with attorneys who realize the benefit that can be derived from networking within a professional entity, and who want to work together to make a difference. 11 Cumberland, Warren and Sussex group, or for further information, contact the Membership Department at 732-249-5000, or visit www.njsba.com and select Member Information. county bar associations. NJSBA members contributed, and the YLD collected, new books and donations to benefit Division of Youth and Family Services clients in these counties. The YLD conducted a Junior Judges project for fourth grade students using American Bar Association-designed Your NJSBA Membership Benefits Keep on Growing It’s that time of year again, when NJSBA dues invoices arrive in the mail. Please remember to return your completed invoice with your payment to guarantee uninterrupted association benefits. Remember, NJSBA membership provides a wide variety of benefits, catering to everything from professional services to personal needs, and the list just keeps getting longer. The NJSBA has just added another new benefit to the package—a 20 percent discount on purchases of PCLaw/PCLawPro software systems and modules, providing integrated time and billing, accounting and practice management services to large firms and sole practitioners. As a NJSBA member, you can take advantage of the following services and discounts as well: videos and curriculum guides. YLD members went into classrooms and talked with students about facing tough choices and making good decisions. The YLD also cosponsors many programs with other NJSBA groups, so young lawyers can take advantage of the mentoring and knowledge afforded by the NJSBA network. Communication Sections and the YLD all have online communities, special miniwebsites for members-only that provide noteworthy news specific to the practice area, a calendar of events, newsletters and substantive items of interest, meeting minutes and an email distributor for instant communication. These special communities provide a unique hub for section and YLD member contact. Access the online communities via www.njsba.com, log on to the site as an NJSBA member, select NJSBA Committees, Divisions and Sections from the left index, then Sections and Divisions, and find your section or division of interest. Once you join one of these groups, your ID number will be recognized and all features of the community will become accessible. Join Today Sections and the YLD have a lot to offer attorneys by way of education, networking, professionalism and career opportunity. To join an NJSBA • Free access to online legal research via NJ CiteLineSM, a customized web-based legal research tool powered by LexisNexis and accessible through the association’s website, www.njsba.com. • Discounts of up to 30 percent on continuing education seminars and products offered by the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE). • Advocacy for lawyers before the Legislature and Court. • The ability to exchange information, news, events of interest and other items through section online communities. • Networking and educational opportunities through sections, divisions and standing and special committees. • A subscription to New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, the bi-monthly NJSBA journal, and Bar Communiqué, the NJSBA’s quarterly newsletter. • A discounted subscription rate on New Jersey Lawyer, The Weekly Newspaper. • Discounts on ABA law office practice management books. • A variety of insurance products offered through NIA Group, LLC. • Discounts from Lexis, PCLaw/PCLawPro, MBNA America, DHL Express and Avis car rental. • Discounts on magazine subscriptions, floral services and clothing from Joseph A. Bank Clothiers and the Men’s Wearhouse. • Retirement plans offered through Equitable Life. • Discounted copying services from FedEx Kinko’s. • Law office management software review information. • Access to the area’s largest online Legal Career Center. More detailed information about these member benefits is available on the NJSBA website at www.njsba.com. You must log on with your member ID number and password to view the complete information and links. 12 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 SECTION NEWS ADMINISTRATIVE LAW cosponsored with ICLE, the Banking Law Section, the Intellectual Property Law Section, the Tax Law Section, the Internet & Computer Law Committee and the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association, the 5th annual Business Law Symposium. ments in Residential Construction.” At an October 13 section meeting attendees discussed “Design, Build and Construction Management.” On January 26, the section will cosponsor with ICLE “Construction Law Basics.” CRIMINAL LAW On November 10, the section cosponsored with ICLE the 2004 Administrative Law Forum, a gathering of administrative law judges and practitioners who addressed a wide range of issues practitioners may face when presenting matters before the Office of Administrative Law. BANKING LAW CASINO LAW On December 7, the section cosponsored with ICLE “The New Brimage Guidelines: Recent Revisions Affecting Plea Bargains in Drug Cases.” On November 20 the section cosponsored with ICLE “Powerful Opening Statements & Closing Arguments for Criminal Attorneys.” On November 17, the section held a dinner meeting addressing “The State of Federal Criminal Justice in the District of New Jersey.” The section previously cosponsored with ICLE the 25th Anniversary of Title 2C of the Criminal Code, with a panel of judges and practitioners looking back over 25 years, discussing the current status of criminal practice and offering a glimpse into the future. DISPUTE RESOLUTION On December 15, the section held a holiday party at Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern in Atlantic City. The section held its annual election of officers and directors at the Ozone Restaurant in Atlantic City’s Flagship Resort. CERTIFIED ATTORNEYS On November 9, the section sponsored a program titled “Amendments to the New Jersey Homeownership Act of 2002 and Agents of Foreign Banks Rule Proposals.” The section cosponsored with ICLE, the Business Law Section, the Intellectual Property Law Section, the Tax Law Section, the Internet & Computer Law Committee and the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association, the 5th annual Business Law Symposium. Section members also held a business meeting on September 28. BANKRUPTCY LAW On February 1, the section will hold a business meeting. A section meeting focusing on “Pride in the Profession” was held on October 12. CIVIL TRIAL BAR On December 4, the section will cosponsor with the Young Lawyers Division and ICLE “100 Days to Trial: Countdown to Victory.” On November 2, the section cosponsored “Silica: The Next Asbestos?” with the Insurance Law Section and ICLE. The section also hosted the James J. McLaughlin Award Dinner, honoring the Hon. Douglas T. Hague and Eugene M. Purcell. CONSTRUCTION & PUBLIC CONTRACT LAW The section will hold a business meeting on February 7. On October 18, members hosted the section’s annual dinner, this year honoring James J. Waldon, clerk of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and on November 8 the section held a business meeting. BUSINESS LAW On November 8, 9, 11 and 15, the section cosponsored with ICLE and the Justice Garibaldi ADR Inn of Court a four-part Civil Mediation Training Course, designed to qualify participants as court-approved mediators for the Civil, General Equity & Probate Program. Also on November 11 the section cosponsored with ICLE and the inn of court, an advanced mediation clinic. The section previously cosponsored with ICLE, the inn of court, the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, the American Arbitration Association, the New Jersey Corporate On March 3, the section will cosponsor the 2005 Corporate Counsel Institute with ICLE and the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association. On November 17, the section cosponsored with ICLE “Dealmaking: The Lawyer’s Role in Buying and Selling Businesses.” On October 22, the section The section will hold a holiday dinner and Old Timers’ Night on December 15. Dinner meetings will be held on February 15 and May 11. Section breakfast meetings will be held on January 19, March 16 and April 13. A dinner meeting was also held on November 17, focusing on “New Develop- BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 13 Counsel Association and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, ADR Day VIII and a program titled “How to be a Better ADR Practitioner (and Make a Living at it).” ELDER & DISABILITY LAW the 2005 Family Law Symposium. From February 9 to February 13 the section will hold its annual Family Law Section Retreat in New Orleans. On February 19, the section will cosponsor with ICLE “Financing Divorce Litigation & Settlements.” On February 26, the section will cosponsor with ICLE “Hot Tips in Family Law…40 Tips From 40 Experts in 4 Hours.” On November 13, the section cosponsored with ICLE “The New Family Part Case Information Statement (CIS)—Effective 9/1/04.” Business meetings of the executive committee will be held on January 11, March 8 and April 12. In October the section cosponsored with ICLE and the Justice Garibaldi ADR Inn of Court, a five-part program titled “Mediation Training: Family Law Cases. During the same month, the section cosponsored with ICLE “Taxation for Family Lawyers.” The section previously cosponsored with ICLE and the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey “Handling Domestic Violence Cases; A Primer,” and “The New Domestic Partnership Act” with ICLE and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Rights Law Committee. GENERAL PRACTICE The section will hold business meetings on February 2 and May 11. The section previously sponsored a discussion titled “Offshore Legal Outsourcing: Will Your Role Change Forever,” and a business meeting on November 16 dealing with “Choosing the Appropriate Formation for Your Law Practice.” HEALTH AND HOSPITAL LAW The section held a dinner meeting on December 1, and a roundtable on January 10. The section held a roundtable session on the medical assisted living waiver on November 11. On November 30, the section cosponsored with ICLE “Sophisticated Elder Law Concepts.” The section previously cosponsored with ICLE “Elder Law for Dummies,” a look at the fundamentals of elder law practice, and 7th annual Elder & Disability Law Symposium. The section also held a meeting to discuss “Does a Power of Attorney Trump the Need for Guardianship.” ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & SPORTS LAW The section will hold business meetings on February 3, March 31 and May 5. The topic of the December meeting was “Inside Out—Tips From In-House Counsel,” and the discussion at the previous meeting was “Select Recent Developments at the Board of Medical Examiners.” On October 15, the section cosponsored with ICLE the 2004 Health & Hospital Law Symposium, a discussion of cutting-edge issues affecting attorneys who represent hospitals, physicians and medical insurers, as well as corporate, commercial and tax lawyers. IMMIGRATION, NATURALIZATION AND AMERICANISM The section cosponsored with ICLE a licensing primer addressing issues related to drafting and reviewing licensing agreements. Section members also held a meeting over the summer. ENVIRONMENTAL LAW On November 17, the section cosponsored with the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association-New Jersey Chapter, the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association and ICLE “Advanced Corporate Immigration Law Issues for Attorneys, In-House Counsel and Human Resources Personnel.” INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS On October 28, the section sponsored a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection policy and program update with guest speaker Bradley M. Campbell, DEP commissioner. FAMILY LAW FEDERAL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE On November 15, the section held a meeting to discuss “Deposition Practice in Federal Court.” During the September meeting the section dealt with the “Ins and Outs of a Daubert Hearing.” Future scheduled section meetings will be held on January 19, March 15, May 2 and June 15. On October 6, the section hosted its annual reception for federal judges and clerks, cosponsored by the Women in Federal Practice. On October 27 the section cosponsored with ICLE “Understanding the Federal False Claims Act.” On December 4 and December 7, the section cosponsored with ICLE “Navigating Your Way Through the Family Part Rules for Divorce Proceedings.” The section’s holiday party was held on December 13, and celebrated the section’s 40th anniversary. On January 29, the section will cosponsor with ICLE The section cosponsored “Emerging Online Privacy Interests of the First Amendment,” with the Internet and Computer Law Committee and ICLE. INSURANCE LAW The section will hold business meetings 14 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 on March 23 and June 7. A recent meeting focused on “Issues for the Division of Insurance Today and Tomorrow.” On November 2, the section cosponsored “Silica: The Next Asbestos?” with the Civil Trial Bar and ICLE. The section previously cosponsored with ICLE “Natural Resource Damage Claims” and “What Every Attorney Must Know About Professional Liability Insurance.” INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW CIO and ICLE, the 26th annual Labor Law Conference. The section’s executive committee will meet on February 7 and April 11. On October 13, the section cosponsored with ICLE Recent Developments in ERISA, covering the latest points including the Employment Retirement Income Security Act. Previously the section cosponsored with ICLE “Post Employment Agreements and Restrictions” and “Fair Labor Standards Act: Recent Developments & Class Action Litigation.” LAND USE LAW PRODUCT LIABILITY & TOXIC TORT On March 12, the section will cosponsor with ICLE “Products Liability From A to Z.” The section held a meeting over the summer to discuss “Evidence Issues in the Product Liability Case.” PUBLIC UTILITY LAW On December 7 the section held its Pre-Winter Meeting at the Hilton Newark. The section will hold business meetings over the next several months with the following guests: January 13, Laura Sanders, director and chief administrative law judge; February 17, a discussion of GATTS and renewables with Mike Winka. A meeting will also be held on March 10. Prior business meetings focused on service quality legislation and pay to play legislation. A business meeting was also held on November 18, with guest speakers Dale Florio and Fred DeSanti. The section’s Spring Conference is being planned for April. REAL PROPERTY, PROBATE & TRUST LAW On December 2, the section cosponsored with ICLE, the Internet & Computer Law Committee and the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association, the 2004 Intellectual Property Summit. On October 22, the section cosponsored with ICLE, the Banking Law Section, the Business Law Section, the Tax Law Section, the Internet & Computer Law Committee and the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association, the 5th annual Business Law Symposium. Earlier in the month the section cosponsored with ICLE “Negotiating an Intellectual Property Transaction—An Interactive Program,” a live mock negotiation and interactive discussion of commonplace intellectual property transactional and licensing issues. INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATIONS The section held a board of directors meeting on December 21. A previous meeting was held on November 16. The section cosponsored with ICLE a program on land use litigation and the 2004 Land Use Update. LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW On November 29, the section held a business meeting. MINORITIES IN THE PROFESSION The section will hold business meetings on January 10 and April 11. The section’s Black History Month Reception will be held on February 24. Business meetings were previously held on November 8 and September 13. MUNICIPAL COURT PRACTICE On December 2, the section cosponsored with ICLE “New Jersey Real Estate Taxes: New Developments.” On December 6, the section cosponsored with ICLE “The ‘New’ New Jersey Probate Code.” The section held a business meeting on December 16, and will also hold meetings on February 24 and April 14. On October 6, the section cosponsored with ICLE the 6th annual New Jersey Trust & Estate Law Forum. A previous business meeting was held on November 18. TAXATION LAW On February 25, the section will cosponsor with ICLE “International Law & Transactions.” LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW The section will hold meetings on January 24, March 28, May 11 and June 27. A recent section meeting focused on “DWI Ignition Interlock Devices.” On February 5, the section will cosponsor with ICLE “DWI in the 21st Century: tion New Breath members Test, New Statute, New Rules.” At a recent secmeeting discussed “DWI Ignition Interlock Devices.” On December 16, the section held a holiday reception at Maplewood Country Club. On November 12, the section cosponsored with the Region 22 National Labor Relations Board, Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, the NJ State AFL- On December 8, the section cosponsor ed with ICLE the 52nd semi-annual Tax & Estate Planning Forum. On December 9, the section held a Holi- BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 15 day Party and Overview of 2004 Federal Tax Changes. On November 4, the section sponsored “Developments in International Tax Law, “ and on November 17 section members participated in the Multi-State Tax Update Seminar. On October 22, the section cosponsored with ICLE, the Banking Law Section, the Business Law, the Intellectual Property Law Section, the Internet & Computer Law Committee and the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association, the 5th annual Business Law Symposium. On October 14, the section held the 25th Anniversary of the Tax Court in New Jersey at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick. WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION summer the section held the Women Judges Reception at Forsgate Country Club, cosponsored by the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey and the National Association of Women Judges. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION sored with ICLE “100 Days to Trial: Countdown to Victory.” The division will hold meetings on February 8, March 8 and April 12. The Annual Brew Ho-Ho was held on December 15, at Triumph Brewing Company. On November 10, the division hosted a Wine Tasting Dinner at Basil and Vine in Elmwood Park. On October 23, the division cosponsored with ICLE “Collection Practice Made Easy,” presenting practical strategies for navigating the court system to collect outstanding debts. Previously the division cosponsored with ICLE “Developing a Goods Sold & Delivered Case,” a stepby-step guide to handling a goods sold and delivered case from start to finish. The division also hosted its annual Kick-Off and Barbecue for members to meet the officers and learn about plans for the coming year; a tailgate party at Far Hills Race Meeting; and the third annual Minority Judges Reception. On December 15, the section cosponsored with ICLE the 15th annual Workers’ Compensation Bench-Bar Conference. On January 8, the section cosponsored with ICLE “Workers’ Compensation Basics.” On November 2, the section cosponsored with ICLE “Trial of a Workers’ Compensation Case: Second Injury Fund.” Executive committee meetings will be held on January 25 and March 8. The section previously held an executive committee meeting on November 16. YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION The section held its holiday party with the Diversity Committee on December 9. In January the section will host a Meet the Candidates Night and in March a Women’s History Month program is being planned. Over the On December 4 the division cospon- Family Law Section Plans Big Fun on the Bayou JAZZ AND JAMBALAYA ARE ON THE MENU FOR THE NJSBA FAMILY LAW SECTION RETREAT PLANNED FOR FEBRUARY 9 TO 13, 2005, IN NEW ORLEANS. THE ROYAL SONESTA HOTEL, LOCATED ON BOURBON STREET IN THE HEART OF THE FRENCH QUARTER, WILL SERVE AS HEADQUARTERS FOR THE SECTION’S ANNUAL EVENT THAT WILL FEATURE SPECIAL SOCIAL EVENTS OFFERING A FIRST-HAND NEW ORLEANS EXPERIENCE. Meeting registration includes a welcome reception at the Royal Sonesta Hotel; a wine-tasting private dinner at the world famous Commander’s Palace Restaurant; a cocktail reception inside the posh shop of MS Rau Antiques and an adventurous boat trip through the Honey Island Swamp, followed by a Big Easy Hoedown featuring Cajun delights and a live Zydeco band. Family Law Section young lawyers, sponsors and family part judges will be conducting accredited continuing legal education programming. Contact the NJSBA Meetings Department at 732-2495000 to obtain a registration brochure that includes meeting and hotel reservation forms. Hotel reservations must be received by January 17, 2005, to take advantage of a special room rate. Sponsors for the 2005 Family Law Retreat include: Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Corp.; Amper, Politziner & Mattia, PA; Beacon Valuation Advisors, LLC; Cipolla Sziklay, LLC; Cowan, Gunteski & Co., PA; Kroll Zolfo Cooper; Maggio & Company; Morrison & Co.; Rosenfarb Winters, LLC; The Barson Group; Withum Smith + Brown; and Jerome Newler, CPA. 16 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 MEMBERS IN THE NEWS CARLA P. ALDARELLI, of Capehart Scatchard, was named a shareholder in the firm. Along with firm member JOHN H. GEANEY, she presented a program titled “New Jersey Workers’ Comp Update 2004,” sponsored by the Council on Education in Management. FRANK D. ALLEN, of Archer & Greiner, has National Business Institute Continuing Professional Education program. Mr. Elgort and PETER D. HUTCHEON spoke on “Partnerships, LLCs and LLPs in New Jersey: Organization and Operation” at a seminar sponsored by Lorman Education Services. LORA L. FONG has joined Greenbaum, Rowe, County, the North Jersey Business Council, to provide a network to discuss business development issues, to enhance communication skills and to improve business relations. CHERYL E. HADER, of Drinker Biddle & Reath, participated in a panel discussion on “Individual Issues: Marriage, Residency, and Marital Disputes in Taxation and Estate Planning for Entertainers and Athletes,” sponsored by the Foundation for Accounting Education. ROBERT HAGERTY, of Capehart Scatchard, become a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. NANCY AXILROD has been named a shareholder at Sterns & Weinroth. FREDERIC K. BECKER, of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, received the prestigious William J. Brennan Jr. Award presented by the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey. STEVEN BERLIN, of Buchanan Ingersoll, has Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel as counsel in the litigation department and technology practice group. ALAN P. FOX and BETSEY LIEBMAN, of Capehart Scatchard, presented a program titled “Mold Control: How to Identify, Prevent, Remediate & Defend Against Mold Problems,” to members of the South Jersey Builders’ League. ROBERT D. FRAWLEY and JOHN R. HEHER have joined Stevens & Lee as of counsel. ALISON L. GALER, of Norris, McLaughlin & been appointed chair for the Legislative Committee of the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA), the Princeton chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). PETER A. BUCHSBAUM, THOMAS J. DENITZIO JR., DENNIS A. ESTIS, ROBERT S. GOLDSMITH, MERYL A. G. GONCHAR and KEVIN T. MCNAMARA, of participated in a Lorman Education Services seminar titled “Zoning and Land Use in New Jersey,” and led a discussion on the Fair Labor Standards Act for members of the Human Resource Association of Southern New Jersey. JENNIFER WARD HAMPTON and GREGORY S. HYMAN, of Spector Gadon & Rosen, pre- Marcus, has been named to the Somerset Valley YMCA Board of Directors. DARREN M. GELBER, of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, was elected to the Middlesex County Bar Association Board of Trustees. ANDREW J. GIBBS, PETER J. LUCCA JR. and JERROLD N. POSLUSNY, of Cozen O’Connor, Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel, presented at the Atlantic Builders Conference. NICHOLAS CASIELLO JR. and WILLIAM J. DOWNEY III have joined Fox Rothschild as partners. MARIE J. JONES has joined the firm as spe- sented a seminar on employment practices liability insurance and sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, sponsored by the Insurance Society of Philadelphia in association with the South Jersey Claims Association. RICHARD M. HLUCHAN, of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, served as a panelist at two seminars titled “Trends in Land Use and Environmental Law” and “Environmental Permitting—The Annual Review” during the Atlantic Builders Conference. Hluchan, along with DENISE M. KEYSER and STEVEN W. SUFLAS, of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, was selected to be listed in the London-published Chambers USA–America’s Leading Business Lawyers 2004–2005. EDWARD A. HOGAN, of Norris, McLaughlin & have been promoted to membership in the firm. LEONARD G. GLEASON has joined The Provi- cial counsel. SHEREEN C. CHEN, of Ballard Spahr Andrews dent Bank as associate general counsel at the bank’s headquarters in Jersey City. RICHARD GOLDSTEIN, of Hangley Aronchick & Ingersoll, presented a seminar titled “Immigration, Subcontractors & Employment Verification: When is the Builder Liable?” to members of the New Jersey Builders League. JEFFREY A. COHEN, of Flaster/Greenberg, has Segal & Pudlin, was named a Pennsylvania super lawyer by Law and Politics Media. ROBERT M. GOODMAN and C. BRIAN KORNBREK have been named partners at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel. JEFFREY GRABOWSKI, of Capehart Scatchard, been promoted to counsel. PATRICK T, COLLINS and M. KAREN THOMPSON, of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, hosted a seminar titled “Protect Your Company’s Assets Through Confidentiality, Non-Compete & Employee Invention Agreements.” THEODORE Z. DAVIS, retired presiding judge of the Chancery Division, General Equity, Camden County, has joined Cozen O’Connor as of counsel. FRANCIS X. DEE, of Carpenter, Bennett & Morrissey, has been inducted as a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. VICTOR S. ELGORT, of Norris, McLaughlin & participated in a Lorman Education Services seminar titled “Landlord and Tenant Law in New Jersey.” WILLIAM H. GRAHAM, of Connell Foley, has joined the National Center for State Courts’ Lawyers Committee. STEPHEN M. GREENBERG, of Flaster/Green- Marcus, participated in an OHSA regulatory and legal update seminar titled “New Developments for Corporate Managers and Counsel.” He also spoke at a New Jersey Business and Industry Association seminar titled “How to Comply with State Environmental Regulations: An Introduction,” with PATRICK T. MOTTOLA of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus. JOEL N. JACOBSON, of Norris, McLaughlin & berg, forecast a positive outlook for the legal industry’s performance at the Rutgers-Camden Quarterly Business Outlook, sponsored by the Rutgers University School of Business at Camden. MARC J. GROSS, of Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel, has been elected secretary of the Essex County Bar Association. He has also formed, together with other business leaders from Essex Marcus, was named chair of the Chatham Township Planning Board. ADAM B. KAPLAN has been named an associ- ate at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel. STEVEN A. KARG, of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, has been named chair of the New Jersey Defense Association’s Products Liability Committee. Marcus, spoke on “Successful Wealth Transfer Techniques in New Jersey as part of the BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 17 DENISE KEYSER, SHEREEN CHEN and CAROL JENNINGS, of Ballard Spahr Andrews & MELISSA E. LIEBERMANN has joined the litiga- Ingersoll, provided legal updates at the 18th annual Tri-State Human Resource Conference. YASMEEN S. KHALEEL and ROBERT S. LEWIS have tion department at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel. BETSEY G. LIEBMAN, of Capehart Scatchard, concerning legislative and regulatory issues affecting 401(k) plans. ARMANDO RICCIO and ROBERT T. LEWIS, both of Capehart Scatchard, participated in a seminar titled “Return-to-Work Issues and Beyond,” sponsored by Lorman Education Services. RICHARD ROSENBLATT, of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, was honored by NJBiz, New Jersey’s leading business community weekly, as one of its 40 under 40 for 2004. PAUL A. ROWE, MICHAEL B. HIMMEL, ALAN E. DAVIS, W. RAYMOND FELTON, ROBERT C. SCHACHTER and PETER A. BUCHSBAUM, of was named chair of the firm’s litigation department. L. MARION K. LITTMAN, of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, spoke at a healthcare workshop sponsored by the Somerset County Bar Association, Civil Practice Committee. LISA D. LOVE, of Love and Long, was hon- joined Capehart Scatchard’s wills, estates & trusts group. JANET S. KOLE, of Flaster/Grenberg, was elected treasurer of the Society Hill Synagogue in Philadelphia. DOREEN D. KORNRUMPF, IVAN J. PUNCHATZ and STEVEN M. BERLIN, of Buchanan Ingersoll, ored as a distinguished woman in real estate by the Women’s Fund of New Jersey. J. ANTHONY MANGER, of Norris, McLaughlin were presenters at the Health Care Association of New Jersey’s 32nd annual State Spring Break Conference. JANE KOZINSKI, of Saul Ewing, has been named vice chair of the firm’s environmental department. LAWRENCE N. LAVIGNE, of Norris, McLaugh- & Marcus, has been elected co-chair of the Meritas Health Law Section Group. SUZANNE M. MCSORLEY, BRADLEY L. MITCHELL, RICHARD J. PINTO and MEGAN E. THOMAS have Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith, Ravin, Davis & Himmel, were selected to be listed in Chambers USA - America’s Leading Business Lawyers 2004-2005. STEVEN B. SACHAROW, of Flaster/Greenberg, co-chaired the 15th annual conference of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA). KATHLEEN M. SANDONE has joined Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll’s Voorhees office. ANGELO SARNO has been named a partner at Weinstein Snyder Lindemann Sarno. PAUL H. SCHULTZ, of Leonard, Tillery and Sciolla, was named a zoning board alternate in Delran. CHRISTINE M. SELLITTI has joined Norris, joined the firm of Stevens & Lee, IRA C. MILLER, of Pellettieri, Rabstein & Altman, joined the AFSCME International Research Department in conducting the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 73, training conference “Leaves of Absence: FMLA, Temporary Disability, Permanent Disability and Workers’ Compensation” at Rutgers University Labor Education Center in New Brunswick. ANDREA WHITE O’BRIEN, of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, has become certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a matrimonial attorney. DANIEL S. OJSERKIS, of Fox Rothschild, has been elected to the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Board of Trustees. NICHOLAS F. PELLITTA, of Norris, McLaughlin lin & Marcus, spoke at the National Association of Printing Leadership Top Management Conference on the role of the business lawyer. JERALYN L. LAWRENCE and SCOTT M. BAACH have joined Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus as partners. Lawrence has also been named as chair of the New Jersey Matrimonial Young Lawyers Committee of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Ms. Lawrence spoke about the Domestic Partnership Act at a community presentation at Lambertville Station and was recently admitted to the roster of Mediators for Economic Aspects of Family Law Cases for Somerset County and to the District XIII Attorney Ethics Committee. HOWARD C. LEE, of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, spoke on “Patent Prosecution Before the USPTO & Taking the Patent Bar” at Seton Hall. HELENE LEONE, of Capehart Scatchard, is McLaughlin & Marcus as an associate. MARK D. SHAPIRO, of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, spoke at the Annual Southern New Jersey Appraisal Institute and Tax Assessors Seminar and Dinner Meeting on “New Jersey Laws Affecting Tax Assessors.” RALPH R. SMITH III, of Spector Gadon & Rosen, authored an article titled “Blowing in the Wind—the Future of New Jersey’s Non-Compete Law” in the January/February 2004 edition of New Jersey CPA. THOMAS R. SMITH, of Pellettieri, Rabstein and teaching small business counseling as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University School of Law in Camden. BENJAMIN A. LEVIN, of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Marcus, has been named to the board of trustees of Hunterdon Prevention Resources. Along with firm member EDWARD G. SPONZILLI, he spoke at a Lorman Education Services seminar titled “Discipline of Students with Special Needs.” ARTHUR PENN, of Pellettieri, Rabstein and & Ingersoll, was featured in the April issue of Franchise Times as one of the top 100 franchise lawyers in the country for 2004. Along with firm member MARK D. SHAPIRO, he was a featured presenter at the International Franchise Association’s 37th annual Legal Symposium in Washington, D.C. ROBERT T. LEWIS, of Capehart Scatchard, par- Altman, has been elected to the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Board of Trustees. RONALD L. PERL, of Hill Wallack, has been Altman, has been elected chair of the Hamilton Area YMCA. STEVEN W. SUFLAS, of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, spoke at a seminar sponsored by the Georgetown University Law Center. M. KAREN THOMPSON, of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, was named one of the outstanding women in Somerset County by the Commission on the Status of Women. ALYSSA A. VERDERAMI, of Norris, McLaughlin named secretary of the Community Associations Institute. JEFFREY M. POLLOCK has joined Fox Rothschild as a partner in the litigation department. ELLIOT RAFF, of Flaster/Greenberg, has ticipated on a national panel as part of a three-day human resources and the law forum sponsored by the Council on Education in Management. He also participated in a Lorman Education Services seminar titled “HIPAA Privacy Regulations and Workers’ Compensation in New Jersey.” been appointed to the 401(k) Plans Subcommittee of the Government Affairs Committee of the American Society of Pension Actuaries, which provides input to the IRS and U.S. Department of Labor & Marcus, presented a healthcare workshop titled “Trial Lawyers’ Guide to HIPAA,” sponsored by the Somerset County Bar Association. 18 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 NEW MEMBERS Carolina Abenante Holmdel, NJ Jaime Ackerman Freehold, NJ Bamidele Adelayo Newark, NJ Yolanda Adrianzen Clifton, NJ Jafer Aftab Trenton, NJ Betty Agin New Brunswick, NJ Kathleen Agno Warren, NJ Nicole Ahmed Philadelphia, PA Han Ahn New York, NY Lisa Albano Mount Laurel, NJ Debra Allen Trenton, NJ Sheryl Allen Clifton, NJ Michael Amantia Trenton, NJ Caroline Antonacci Morristown, NJ Melaine Armstrong Trenton, NJ Richard Arnold Newark, NJ Garo Artinoff Forest Hills, NY Vartan Asatrian Hackensack, NJ Anthony Atwell Irvington, NJ Tara Auciello New Brunswick, NJ Caitlin Aviss Trenton, NJ Valerie Avrin Holmdel, NJ Julia Bahn York, PA Mark Bailey Plainfield, NJ Peter Balsamo Milltown, NJ Kristin Bamond Brick, NJ Robert Baranowski Trenton, NJ Paul Barger Morristown, NJ Alexander Barrera Somers Point, NJ Jacqueline Barrett Voorhees, NJ John Basiak Holmdel, NJ Amrita Basu Jersey City, NJ Robert Bates Trenton, NJ Gregory Baxter Shrewsbury, NJ Stephanie Beaty Trenton, NJ Lauren Beetie Riverside, NJ Darrin Behr Edison, NJ Andrew Belofsky Warren, NJ Jeffrey Benjamin Corona, NY Ira Berg Stamford, CT Peter Berge Brooklyn, NY Alex Berger Ringwood, NJ Howard Berman Paramus, NJ Linda Berman Livingston, NJ Christine Bernacki Summit, NJ Ari Bernstein Franklin Lakes, NJ Robin Bernstein New York, NY Rebecca Bertram Bridgeton, NJ Keith Betensky Westwood, NJ Dania Billings Roseland, NJ Annette Birch Edison, NJ Cherrie Black Cherry Hill, NJ Hope Blackburn Lawrenceville, NJ Cristobal Blades Browns Mills, NJ Teresa Blair Kendall Park, NJ J. Michael Blake Newark, NJ Eileen Blum Freehold, NJ Jennifer Blum Trenton, NJ Jennifer Bogdanski Hoboken, NJ Barry Bohmueller Linwood, NJ Peter Bonfiglio Blackwood, NJ Christopher Bonk Leonia, NJ Nina Bonner Trenton, NJ Maureen Bonney Trenton, NJ Ronald Bookbinder Mount Holly, NJ John Borelli Havre De Grace, MD David Borkon Woodbridge, NJ Gregory Botvinik Highland Park, NJ James Boyan Glen Rock, NJ John Boyd Cape May, NJ Carole Boyd Milford, NJ Daniel Boyle New Brunswick, NJ Jennifer Boyle Collingswood, NJ Wayne Bradley Philadelphia, PA Christopher Brady Manasquan, NJ Winifred Branton Haddonfield, NJ Daniel Braude New York, NY Joseph Bredehoft Monmouth Beach, NJ Diane Breese Belvidere, NJ Jennifer Brigliadoro Hackensack, NJ Jeffrey Broderick Princeton, NJ Edith Brower Pennington, NJ Lance Brown Trenton, NJ Stacie Brown Mount Laurel, NJ Alfred Brunetti Fair Lawn, NJ Christopher Bruschi Pompton Lakes, NJ Anne Buckley Scotch Plains, NJ John Buckman Chatham, NJ Maria Bultron-Pena Jersey City, NJ Mikole Burke Anderson Bridgeton, NJ Keith Burkhardt Hoboken, NJ Jonathan Busch New York, NY John Butler Morristown, NJ Valerie Butler Trenton, NJ Dianne Butto Mount Arlington, NJ Jane Calazzo Hamburg, NJ Jeanette Calderon-Arnold Newark, NJ Joseph Calella Trenton, NJ Erin Callahan Piscataway, NJ Ida Cambria New Brunswick, NJ Peter Cammarano Hoboken, NJ Cristina Campanella Morristown, NJ Roger Campbell Jersey City, NJ Donald Campolo Midland Park, NJ Carlo Camporeale Paterson, NJ Andrew Carlowicz New Brunswick, NJ Lauren Carlton Newark, NJ Denise Carter West Orange, NJ Dominic Caruso Clifton, NJ Kristin Casale Yardley, PA Jennifer Casatelli Nutley, NJ Denise Case Pennsauken, NJ Cory Cassar Trenton, NJ Ronda Casson Cotroneo Wayne, NJ Lisette Castelo Union City, NJ Jane Castner Annandale, NJ Glenn Cavanagh Scotch Plains, NJ Albert Cernadas Roselle, NJ Joseph Chang Clifton, NJ Kathleen Chasar Lawrenceville, NJ Omar-John Chavez Hoboken, NJ Mark Cheser West Windsor, NJ Gurjit Chima Carteret, NJ Chipila Chipepo Warren, NJ David Chipperson Florham Park, NJ Amy Chipperson Union, NJ Rita Chipperson Florham Park, NJ Irene Chiu Princeton, NJ Amod Choudhary Manalapan, NJ Chi Chung Beverly, NJ Suey Chung Edison, NJ Jennifer Cicchetti Cranbury, NJ Edward Cienki Hammonton, NJ Jacek Cieszynski Wallington, NJ Sharil Clarke Plainfield, NJ Penelope Codrington Morristown, NJ Eric Cohen Livingston, NJ Jared Cohen Springfield, NJ Suzanne Collins Cherry Hill, NJ Dina Confalone Middlesex, NJ Carmen Conring Montclair, NJ Brian Convery Rutherford, NJ Edwin Cook Madison, WV Peter Cook South Orange, NJ William Cook Haddonfield, NJ Brett Cooper Princeton, NJ Cassandra Corbett Union, NJ John Corbett Newark, NJ David Corcoran Mountain Lakes, NJ Jennifer Cordes Trenton, NJ Augusto Cordova Wilmington, DE Matthew Cormier New York, NY Karen Cornelius Morristown, NJ Jeannette Cornish Paterson, NJ John Cornish Phillipsburg, NJ Brenda Correa Woodbridge, NJ James Costello Sicklerville, NJ Meredith Cote Cherry Hill, NJ Michele Coulombe Vineland, NJ Leo Cox Trenton, NJ BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 19 Keith Cozier Brooklyn, NY Wendy Craft Carmel, NY Johanna Crawford Arlington, VA Amy Criscuolo West Orange, NJ Joanna Crosby Newark, NJ Thomas Crowell Glen Ridge, NJ Michael Crowley Morristown, NJ Deborah Cummis Sandlaufer West Orange, NJ Mary Cupo-Cruz Flemington, NJ Susan Curcio Hammonton, NJ Frank Custode Morristown, NJ Erik Daab Trenton, NJ Lynn D’Agostino Cranford, NJ Sal Daidone Voorhees, NJ Kevin Dailey Bridgewater, NJ Megan Damato Hamden, CT Kenneth D’Amato Clifton, NJ Heather Darling Succasunna, NJ Elizabeth Darmody Manasquan, NJ Rosemarie DaSilva Chatham, NJ Ronald De Caprio Englewood Cliffs, NJ Ramon de la Cruz Guttenberg, NJ Ann DeBellis Trenton, NJ Jacqueline DeCarlo Eatontown, NJ Erin DeGeorge Morristown, NJ Anna Delio Maplewood, NJ Annette DellaSalla New York, NY David Dembe Philadelphia, PA Andrew Dembia Newark, NJ Robert Denner Berkeley Heights, NJ Naomi deSilva Morristown, NJ Teresa DeSousa Roseland, NJ Michael DeTommaso Whitehouse Station, NJ Elizabeth Devine Marlton, NJ Thomas Devita Clifton, NJ James DeZao Parsippany, NJ Jasbinder Dhoot Marlton, NJ Charlene Diana Manahawkin, NJ John DiBiasi Saddle River, NJ Domenick DiCicco Philadelphia, PA John Dickinson West Trenton, NJ Joanne Diez Long Branch, NJ Donald DiGioia Mountainside, NJ Minas Diksies Somerset, NJ Susan DiMaria Monmouth Junction, NJ Jana DiNatale Whitehouse Station, NJ Jared Doebritsch Vineland, NJ Robert Doherty Westfield, NJ William Doherty Bridgeton, NJ Thomas Doig Trenton, NJ Colleen Dolcy Toms River, NJ Thomas Dominczyk Bridgewater, NJ Robert Domski Wallington, NJ Brian Donnelly Voorhees, NJ Nicole Dory Millburn, NJ Louisa Dotoli South Plainfield, NJ Catherine Dougherty Woodbridge, NJ Patricia Downing Toms River, NJ Thomas Downs Old Bridge, NJ William Doyle Avenel, NJ Michael Dressler Hackensack, NJ Candice Drisgula Fairlawn, NJ Aileen Droughton Edison, NJ Joel Drucker Randolph, NJ Ernest DuBester Arlington, VA Lisa Dubois Tabernacle, NJ Susan Dudzinski Gillette, NJ Howard Duff Woodbridge, NJ Michael Duffy Franklin Lakes, NJ Mariellen Dugan Trenton, NJ Heather Durrant Philadelphia, PA Barbara Dutko Berlin, NJ Christopher Dzwilewski North Brunswick, NJ Aaron Easley Scotch Plains, NJ Philip Edwards Wilmington, DE Cheryl Ehrgott Ledgewood, NJ Ramy Eid Trenton, NJ Vladimir Elgort New York, NY Robert Elkinson Maplewood, NJ Kristin Elliott Hackensack, NJ Carl Emigholz Bloomfield, NJ Michael Epps Red Bank, NJ Faryl Epstein New York, NY Reni Erdos Newark, NJ Christopher Errante Nutley, NJ Kimberly Espinales Secaucus, NJ Natalie Esposito West Paterson, NJ David Evans Pittstown, NJ Norma Evans Cherry Hill, NJ Craig Exelbirt Union, NJ Kristopher Facenda Ocean City, NJ James Fahy Basking Ridge, NJ John Fahy Lambertville, NJ Vincent Falcetano Red Bank, NJ Sally Falck Ridgewood, NJ George Farmer Ventnor City, NJ Ronald Farneski Hillsborough, NJ Michael Fasano Freehold, NJ Eva Fatenko Haddonfield, NJ Sheryl Fay New Brunswick, NJ Carolyn Ferko Philadelphia, PA Vonnetta Fermin Newark, NJ Gladis Ferullo Hackensack, NJ Heather Fink Hoboken, NJ Barry Finkel Trenton, NJ Robert Fischer Bridgeton, NJ Janet Flanagan Lawrenceville, NJ Debra Foca Trenton, NJ Robert Fodera Staten Island, NY Ryan Fole Morristown, NJ Sherry Foley North Haledon, NJ Martin Foncello Newark, NJ Angela Foster Trenton, NJ Russel Francisco West Orange, NJ Luis Franco Elizabeth, NJ Thomas Frascella Princeton, NJ Anne Frawley Morristown, NJ Laura Freedman Union, NJ Seth Friedland New York, NY Keven Friedman Brooklyn, NY Marc Friedman Newark, NJ Wayne Frohlich Wall, NJ Ressie Fuller Newark, NJ Kevin Funabashi Lyndhurst, NJ Lori Furka Piscataway, NJ Denise Gabay Hasbrouck Heights, NJ Alexandra Gallo Morristown, NJ Peter Garcia Trenton, NJ Gary Garland Freehold, NJ Eric Garrabrant Ocean City, NJ Mindy Gensler Trenton, NJ Arthur Gerety Long Branch, NJ Marisa Giacobello Trenton, NJ Daniel Giaquinto Trenton, NJ Yvette Gibbons Roselle Park, NJ Moira Gibbons Lopez Westwood, NJ Yvonne Gifford Maher Atlantic City, NJ Richard Girards Warren, NJ Gitanjali Giutierrez Newark, NJ Emily Givens Marlton, NJ Jo Astrid Glading Hopewell, NJ Trina Glass Woodbridge, NJ Alan Glazer Short Hills, NJ Lora Glick Tinton Falls, NJ Lisa Godfrey Trenton, NJ David Goei Lakewood, NJ Lenore Goldberg West Orange, NJ Alexis Goldberger Essex Fells, NJ Thomas Golden Maple Shade, NJ Barbara Goldsmith Newark, NJ Monica Gonzalez Washington, DC Joanne Gonzalez Franklin Park, NJ Ramon Gonzalez Union City, NJ Kenneth Goodman Livingston, NJ Lisa Gowen Warren, NJ Gordon Graber Morristown, NJ Gina Graham Morristown, NJ Erica Gray New York, NY Deene Greble Mount Ephraim, NJ Markus Green Trenton, NJ Nanette Green Somerset, NJ Marc Greenberg Long Beach, CA Cory Greenwald Mahwah, NJ Marianne Greenwald Newark, NJ Ralph Grieco Short Hills, NJ Seth Griep Saddle Brook, NJ Lori Grifa West Orange, NJ Gerald Griffin Cherry Hill, NJ Maurice Griffin Trenton, NJ Rajat Gupta Kendall Park, NJ 20 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 Dacia Haddad Philadelphia, PA Michael Halbfish Woodbridge, NJ Lance Hale Roanoke, VA Ebonee Hamilton Livingston, NJ Cheryl Hammel Union Beach, NJ Gene Hammoud Bloomfield, NJ Harvey Hanna Oradell, NJ Amy Hansel Bradley Beach, NJ Susan Harper North Bergen, NJ Carol Hawk Montvale, NJ Nancy Hearne Princeton, NJ Adam Heck Middletown, NJ Ronald Heksch Trenton, NJ Tanya Helfand Rockaway, NJ Erica Helm Trenton, NJ Russell Hems Basking Ridge, NJ Robert Hennessey Bogota, NJ William Henry Berkeley Heights, NJ Lee Herman Media, PA John Heuer Los Angeles, CA Francis Heyduk Haddon Heights, NJ Lynn Heyer Egg Harbor Township, NJ Brian Heyesey Allentown, NJ Denise Higgins Camden, NJ Elizabeth Higgins Husk Ringwood, NJ James Hill Trenton, NJ Julian Hill South Plainfield, NJ Robyn Hill Lumberton, NJ Jeanine Hillesland Bristol, PA Tracey Hinson Monmouth Junction, NJ Paul Hirsch Berkeley Heights, NJ Daniel Hirschel Woodmere, NY Gregg Hobbie Eatontown, NJ Noel Holland Midland Park, NJ Melvin Holloway Medford, NJ Cristal Holmes-Bowie Willingboro, NJ Frank Holstein Ewing, NJ Michael Holzapfel Red Bank, NJ Alexander HooFatt Three Bridges, NJ Jill Horowitz Hackensack, NJ Keith Hovey Westfield, NJ Robyn Howlett Princeton, NJ Thomas Hoxie Short Hills, NJ Douglas Hudson Westfield, NJ Robert Hueston Florham Park, NJ Tama Hughes Ocean City, NJ Terrence Hull Whippany, NJ Steven Humphreys Parsippany, NJ Thomas Hunt Trenton, NJ Drew Hurley Somerville, NJ Kevin Hurley Morristown, NJ Stephen Hyland Flemington, NJ Susan Iannelli Lodi, NJ Gia Incardone Hackensack, NJ Jill Indyk Metuchen, NJ Gabriel Infante South Orange, NJ Alexa Iorio Belleville, NJ Emil Isner Haddonfield, NJ Mary Anne Iuliano Montvale, NJ Shauna Jackson Newark, NJ Henry Jaeger Elizabeth, NJ Mark Jaffe Princeton, NJ W. James Jakobowski Audubon, NJ David Jarashow Morganville, NJ Jennifer Jefferson Ridgewood, NJ John Jenkins Westfield, NJ Kimberly Jenkins Marlton, NJ Rita Jennings Roseland, NJ Nichoele Johnson Lynn, MA Chris Johnson Plainsboro, NJ Steven Johnson Morristown, NJ Gregory Johnston Glassboro, NJ James Jones Trenton, NJ Paul Josephson Princeton, NJ Seth Josephson Princeton Junction, NJ Tanya Justice Cherry Hill, NJ Carol Kalinoski Alexandria, VA Ira Kaltman Montvale, NJ Francine Kaplan Trenton, NJ Scott Kaplan Hamilton, NJ Sarah Kaput Newark, NJ Stacie Karp New York, NY Glenn Kassman Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Michelle Katich Wayne, NJ Kenneth Kayal Montvale, NJ Matt Kelbick Columbus, OH Denis Kelly Jackson, NJ Laura Kelly Newark, NJ Linda Kelly Newark, NJ Thomas Kelly West Caldwell, NJ Scott Kemp Fair Lawn, NJ Robert Kennedy Farmingdale, NY Devon Kenney Springfield, NJ Ryan Kerian Cleveland Heights, OH Alexandria Khalil Trenton, NJ Mubeen Khan Forest Hills, NY Nicholas Khoudary East Brunswick, NJ David Kiefer Trenton, NJ Efraim Kieffer Passaic, NJ Michael Kiernan Mount Laurel, NJ Virginia Kilcoyne Hackensack, NJ Davina Kim Englewood Cliffs, NJ David Kim Newark, NJ Myung Kim Livingston, NJ Bobbie King Cedar Knolls, NJ Winston Kirton Springfield, NJ Molly Klapper New York, NY Richard Klauber Manalapan, NJ Ronald Kleckley Newark, NJ David Klein Haddonfield, NJ David Klein Lakewood, NJ Justin Klein Red Bank, NJ Howard Kleinhendler Lakewood, NJ Donald Klimoski Hazlet, NJ Bruce Kmosko Lawrenceville, NJ Alan Komensky Bridgewater, NJ Michael Kontos Woodbridge, NJ Adam Kotlar Cherry Hill, NJ Anna Krepps Springfield, NJ Sarah Krieger Morristown, NJ Siobhan Krier Newark, NJ Claire Kroeze Brick, NJ Lydia Kuhn Berkeley Heights, NJ Melissa Kurtz Woodbridge, NJ Daniel Kuszmerski Hoboken, NJ Carolyn Labin Trenton, NJ Lucille LaCosta-Davino Short Hills, NJ Jonathan Lagareene Annandale, NJ Betty Lam Columbus, OH Michael Lamolino River Edge, NJ Anthony LaMonica West Orange, NJ Alyse Landano Montville, NJ Virginia Langfitt Trenton, NJ Darlene Lapola Newark, NJ Benerly Lapsley Newark, NJ Paul LaSalle West Long Branch, NJ Roseann Latore Morristown, NJ Anthony LaVista Long Valley, NJ Cheri Lawson Ewing, NJ Cynthia Lee North Arlington, NJ Daniel Lee Palisades Park, NJ Janice Lee New York, NY Mary Jane Leland Berkeley Heights, NJ Carriann Lerner Parsippany, NJ Alison Leslie Morristown, NJ Barry Levine Morris Plains, NJ Debra Levine Springfield, NJ Chen Li Lincroft, NJ Charles Licata Marlton, NJ Mitchell Liebowitz West Caldwell, NJ Chris Lin Springfield, NJ Phillip Linder Metuchen, NJ David Lipari Leonia, NJ Brian Lipman Newark, NJ Andrea LiPuma Newark, NJ James Liskow Tenafly, NJ Louis Littman Manchester, NJ George Ljutich Pennington, NJ James Lloyd Denville, NJ Linda Lockard-Phillips Trenton, NJ Michael LoGalbo Trenton, NJ Nicholas Lombardi Wayne, NJ Penny Ludman Trenton, NJ Danielle Lundy Westfield, NJ Jason Lustbader Short Hills, NJ James Lutfy Union, NJ JoAnne Lytle Shrewsbury, NJ Julia MacDermott New Providence, NJ Karyllan Mack Newark, NJ Megan MacMullin Ogdensburg, NJ BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 21 Robert Macniven East Brunswick, NJ Joseph Maddaloni Morristown, NJ Tennant Magee Wall Township, NJ Pamela Mahon Trenton, NJ George Mahr Madison, NJ John Mairo Morristown, NJ Stanley Majkut Philadelphia, PA Nancy Malool Scotch Plains, NJ Michael Maneri Fairfield, NJ Robert Marasco Newark, NJ Robert Marchese Red Bank, NJ Francine Mari Boston, MA Thomas Marian Kingwood, TX Scott Marinelli Cranford, NJ Andrea Marino Maplewood, NJ Christine Marks Woodbridge, NJ John Markwardt Cherry Hill, NJ Greggory Marootian Livingston, NJ Jerry Maroules Fairfield, NJ Lisa Marshall Newark, NJ Robert Marshall Haddonfield, NJ Paul Martin Raritan, NJ Michael Martini Annandale, NJ Jason Martucci Westfield, NJ Karen Mascioli Blackwood, NJ Mark Maser Lyons, CO Adrienne Mastromonaco Newark, NJ Joann Mazur Newark, NJ Kevin McAlister Staten Island, NY Charles McAuliffe Chester, NJ Lawrence McCarron Orangeburg, NY Robert McCarthy Chatham, NJ Susan McCarthy Newark, NJ Charles McCauley Blue Bell, PA Sharon McCloskey Shrewsbury, NJ Stephanie McClure New Milford, NJ Brian McComack Elizabeth, NJ John McCusker Chatham, NJ Patricia McDonald Kenilworth, NJ Patrick McDonough Summit, NJ Kerry McGrath Toms River, NJ Jennifer McGuckinMignano Norristown, PA Patricia McKenna Budd Lake, NJ Daniel McKillop Parsippany, NJ James McKinney Tenafly, NJ Thomas McKinney Florham Park, NJ Kathleen McLaughlin Shrewsbury, NJ Mary McLaughlin East Windsor, NJ James McMahon Saddle River, NJ Dolores McNamee Trenton, NJ Samuel McNulty Florham Park, NJ Joseph Medic White Plains, NY Kendall Medwway Hillsborough, NJ Sarah Meil New York, NY Cathy Melitski Newark, NJ Kerry Menchen Atlantic City, NJ Jennifer Mendelsohn Huntingdon Valley, PA Laurent Metzler Moorestown, NJ Marie Miczak Englishtown, NJ Michael Miller West Collingswood, NJ John Miller Chatham, NJ Rebecca Miller Westfield, NJ Irwin Millinger South River, NJ John Mills Roseland, NJ David Minchello Warren, NJ Rosanna Minervini New Brunswick, NJ Mahesha Mitchell Jersey City, NJ Boris Moczula Trenton, NJ Margaret Monaco Newark, NJ Stephen Moore Trenton, NJ Peter Morales East Brunswick, NJ Richard Morales Jersey City, NJ Dianne Moratti Trenton, NJ Allan Mordkoff Wayne, NJ Frank Morelli Phillipsburg, NJ Lisa Morelli Somerville, NJ Philip Morin Cranford, NJ Sharon Moscato Newark, NJ Donnetta Moss Gardner Woolwich Township, NJ John Moustakas Bridgeton, NJ Kevin Moxley Vauxhall, NJ Edward Mullins North Bergen, NJ Anthony Murgatroyd Flemington, NJ Mariann Murphy Morristown, NJ Tara Murphy Kendall Park, NJ Genevieve MurphyBradacs Upper Montclair, NJ Jeffrey Nachem East Brunswick, NJ Meherab Nalavala Princeton, NJ Malila Naon Robinson South Plainfield, NJ Evan Neadel Harrison, NJ Hal Neeman Hillsborough, NJ Liza Negron New York, NY Thomas Nelson Union, NJ Alexander Nemiroff Paoli, PA Tracy Nemiroff Basking Ridge, NJ Keri Newlon Tinton Falls, NJ Bradley Newman Philadelphia, PA Betty Ng Trenton, NJ Brian Nicholas Freehold, NJ Angelo Nigro Fort Lee, NJ Geoffrey North Morristown, NJ Charles Nugent Marlton, NJ Christina Nuzzo Morristown, NJ Heather Oakley Washington, NJ M. O’Connell New York, NY Kevin O’Connor Newark, NJ Diane O’Donnell Maplewood, NJ S. Joseph Oey Parsippany, NJ Michelle Offsey Manalapan, NJ Mira Ogrizovic Holland, PA Steven Oh New York, NY Daniel O’Hern Red Bank, NJ Jon Olefson Teaneck, NJ Karen Olejarz Fairless Hills, PA Kurt Olender Union, NJ Susan Olgiati Trenton, NJ Rebecca OliverRemshifski Princeton, NJ Mark Ondris New Providence, NJ Joann Onello Paramus, NJ Melissa Orsen Trenton, NJ Jennie Osborne Totowa, NJ Robert Osborne Fairfield, NJ Charles Ouslander Trenton, NJ Tracey Overton Cherry Hill, NJ Debra Owens Trenton, NJ Theresa Owens San Francisco, CA Alex Pagano Morris Plains, NJ Jeffrey Paige Livingston, NJ Tobey Palan Newark, NJ Kenneth Palmer Toms River, NJ George Pangis Washington Township, NJ David Panitz Hackensack, NJ Martin Pankiewicz Garfield, NJ Loredana Pantano Franklin Lakes, NJ Robert Papa Clifton, NJ Magdalene Papadopoulos Hoboken, NJ Aglaita PapadopoulosVlantes Jersey City, NJ Lisa Parles Hackensack, NJ Sara Parsowith South Royalton, VT Kristina Paski Roseland, NJ Mamta Patel Trenton, NJ Monall Patel Cedar Knolls, NJ George Patterson Hoboken, NJ Robert Pawlowski Newark, NJ Norman Peer Freehold, NJ Jacqueline Pennington Newark, NJ John Perez Newark, NJ Elizabeth Peter Milltown, NJ John Petrofsky Summit, NJ Tanya Phillips Trenton, NJ Debra Piana Jackson, NJ Evan Pickus East Brunswick, NJ Laurie Pilling Manasquan, NJ Renata Pilny Clifton, NJ Eric Pinciss Boston, MA Joseph Pinto Moorestown, NJ Marie Pirog Lawrenceville, NJ Pamela Pirone Staten Island, NY James Pitman Philadelphia, PA Elizabeth Pittaluga Englewood, NJ Harris Pogust Pennsauken, NJ Dennis Polizzi Clifton, NJ Eva Poneros Englewood, NJ Gary Poplaski Paramus, NJ Rich Potter Somerville, NJ Laurie Poulos New York, NY Christie Pratt Morristown, NJ Joseph Press Bayonne, NJ Susan Preston Brookside, NJ Alice Previte Haddonfield, NJ 22 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 Anthony Previti Egg Harbor Township, NJ Charles Previti Linwood, NJ Patricia Prezioso Trenton, NJ Diane Proulx East Brunswick, NJ Scott Pyfer Princeton, NJ Richard Queen Whippany, NJ John Robin Quelch Trenton, NJ Jaime Quigley Metuchen, NJ Laura Quinn Springfield, NJ Joshua Rabinowitz Newark, NJ Charlesworth Rae Cresskill, NJ Sudha Raja Trenton, NJ Cristina Ramundo West Caldwell, NJ Janna Rapp Newark, NJ Wendy Reek Monmouth Junction, NJ Daniel Regan Scotch Plains, NJ Christina Reger Short Hills, NJ Rachel Rehaut Hackensack, NJ Victoria Rehrer Point Pleasant, NJ David Reich Roseland, NJ Gregory Reich Boonton, NJ Jean Reilly Trenton, NJ Adrienne Reim Trenton, NJ Russell Rein Paramus, NJ Brett Reina Milford, NJ Nina Remson Hackensack, NJ Lisa Renk Manasquan, NJ Kim Rennie Summit, NJ Michael Repak Southampton, PA Rachel Rinninsland Middletown, NJ Amy Robinson Cranford, NJ Peter Roby Pompton Plains, NJ Berta Rodriguez Whippany, NJ Linda Rodriguez North Brunswick, NJ Christopher Romanyshyn Whippany, NJ Raquel Romero Elizabeth, NJ Susan Roop Stockton, NJ Donald Rosenfelt Clifton, NJ Dianna Rosenheim Haddon Heights, NJ Paul Rosenthal Hightstown, NJ Marysol Rosero Livingston, NJ Jason Ross Bradley Beach, NJ Scott Ross Somerset, NJ Scott Rossow Whippany, NJ Scott Rotkowitz Cherry Hill, NJ William Rowan Newark, NJ Michael Rubenstein Cedar Grove, NJ Kenneth Rubin Princeton, NJ Leigh Rubinstein Newark, NJ Lisa Ruch Trenton, NJ John Ruzich Fort Lee, NJ Gerard Ryan Warrington, PA Debra Sahler Mahwah, NJ Luis Sanchez Elizabeth, NJ Paul Santangini Mullica Hill, NJ Andrew Sapolnick Trenton, NJ Anthony Sardis Warren, NJ Lisa Sarnoff Gochman Trenton, NJ Kevin Savage Closter, NJ Adam Savetsky Fort Lee, NJ Gerald Scala West Orange, NJ Alexander Scarola Philadelphia, PA Karen Schermond West Long Branch, NJ Robert Schillberg Red Bank, NJ Jason Schlesinger Lansing, MI Raymond Schmidt Maspeth, NY Richard Schnoll Woodcliff Lake, NJ Ivan Schofield Montclair, NJ Nicole Schreiner Trenton, NJ Jonathan Schulman Annapolis, MD Rachel Schulman Philadelphia, PA Paul Schultz Delran, NJ Doris Schumacher Bedminster, NJ Eric Schweiker Trenton, NJ Michelle Scotti Maplewood, NJ Jeanne Screen Red Bank, NJ Andrew Seewald Old Bridge, NJ Anthony Sellitto Asbury Park, NJ Danny Serratelli Newark, NJ Alvina Seto Trenton, NJ Dawn Shanahan East Brunswick, NJ Claudine Shannon Lincroft, NJ Kenneth Sharpe Trenton, NJ Robert Shaughnessy Trenton, NJ J. Brian Sheehan Montclair, NJ Justin Sheets Philadelphia, PA Amanda Sherman Holmdel, NJ Edward Shim Marmora, NJ William Shulman Edgewater, NJ Tishya Signorelli Florham Park, NJ Dawn Sigyarto Philadelphia, PA Joel Silberman Hoboken, NJ Mary Simmons Newark, NJ Ilan Simon Englewood, NJ Leslie Simon Ridgewood, NJ Michael Simone Collingswood, NJ Reginald Sims Livingston, NJ Meredith Sinclair Morristown, NJ Barry Sirota Fair Lawn, NJ Martin Skolnick Morristown, NJ Richard Slawson Summit, NJ Michael Slocum Blairstown, NJ Carlton Smith Kendall Park, NJ Dam Smith Orange, NJ Edward Smith Newark, NJ Morris Smith Camden, NJ Tene Smith Bloomfield, NJ Cori Socher Sea Bright, NJ Soh Yung Son Old Tappan, NJ Natasha Songonuga Newark, NJ Matthew Sontz Newark, NJ Michael Sousa Cherry Hill, NJ Louis Spann Elizabeth, NJ Jeremy Spector Cherry Hill, NJ Loren Speziale Morristown, NJ Elyse Spialter Union, NJ Andrew Spivack Richboro, PA Douglas Squasoni Allendale, NJ Lisa Steirman Eatontown, NJ Rhonda Stephens Newark, NJ Nancy Stewart Bernardsville, NJ Andrew Stiffufsen New York, NY A. Paul Stofa Metuchen, NJ Robert Storino Lawrenceville, NJ Joseph Strelkoff Madison, NJ Kristine Stringer South Orange, NJ Grace Strom Jersey City, NJ Christina Strong Belle Mead, NJ Bernadette Styliades Marlton, NJ Katherine Suga South Orange, NJ Mark Sullivan Haddonfield, NJ Dean Sutton Sparta, NJ Sandra Sutton-Simanski Bridgewater, NJ Ryan Szczepanik Philadelphia, PA Annmarie Taggart Butler, NJ Kathryn Tagliareni Newark, NJ Rebecca Taple Morristown, NJ James Taylor Bridgeton, NJ Lester Taylor Newark, NJ Thomas Telesca Paramus, NJ Karl Thallner Philadelphia, PA Christina Thomas Bloomfield, NJ Jeff Thomas Clifton, NJ Joseph Tiboni New Providence, NJ Peter Tober Bernardsville, NJ Sheila Tobin Belleville, NJ William Tobolsky Westmont, NJ John Tolleris Trenton, NJ Zsolt Tolnai Highland Park, NJ Mary Tom Totowa, NJ Debra Tortora West Caldwell, NJ Karen Tragesser Mount Holly, NJ Jara Traina Springfield, NJ Lewis Trauffer Philadelphia, PA Jeffrey Traurig Hackensack, NJ Maura Tully Wall, NJ Meaghan Tuohey-Kay Clifton, NJ Robert Tuteur Philadelphia, PA James Tweed Ocean City, NJ Joel Ugolini Seaside Heights, NJ Thomas Underwood Cherry Hill, NJ Hilary Ungar Glen Ridge, NJ William Uptegrove Roseland, NJ Thomas Utizinger Summit, NJ Ann Valdivia Staten Island, NY Anthony Valente Lyndhurst, NJ Luis Valentin Newark, NJ Nicholas Valvanis Montvale, NJ Michael Van Aken West Caldwell, NJ John Van Dalen Haddonfield, NJ BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 23 Kathleen Van Every Webb City, MO Martin Vanderheide Sussex, NJ Bruce Vargo Newark, NJ Nicholas Vasile Trenton, NJ Angela Veinich Paramus, NJ Peter Velasco Union City, NJ Pasquale Vella Linden, NJ Sheila Venable Jersey City, NJ Michele Verno Northfield, NJ Rebekah Verona Haddonfield, NJ Lisa Vignuolo North Brunswick, NJ James Villere New Hope, PA Aurelio Vincitore Bayonne, NJ Jonathan Vuotto Basking Ridge, NJ Tirza Wahrman Short Hills, NJ Lauren Wall Hoboken, NJ Jeremy Wallace Lake Hopatcong, NJ Wayne Wallace Fort Carson, CO Thomas Walsh Gladstone, NJ Michele Walter Port Monmouth, NJ Florence Wan Matawan, NJ Russell Warren Englewood Cliffs, NJ Stewart Warren Pennington, NJ Michael Warshaw Red Bank, NJ Jay Weinberg New Brunswick, NJ Helene Weiner Red Bank, NJ Michelle Weiner Newark, NJ Evan Weinstein Roseland, NJ Robert Weinstein Berkeley Heights, NJ Michael Weintraub Shrewsbury, NJ Steven Weisbrot Blackwood, NJ Kent Weisert Bloomfield, NJ Joseph Weiss Wall, NJ Elisa Westfield South Orange, NJ Brian Wheeler Morristown, NJ Mark Whipkey North Plainfield, NJ Vincent Whittle Newark, NJ Todd Wieseneck Upper Montclair, NJ Bruce Williams Haddonfield, NJ Elizabeth Williams Matawan, NJ Nichelle Williams League City, TX Kelly Williams Colts Neck, NJ Sherry Wilson Trenton, NJ Tracye Wilson Elliot Lindenwold, NJ Malee Wing Newark, NJ Drew Wixted Cherry Hill, NJ Russell Wojtenko North Brunswick, NJ Gary Wolf Trenton, NJ Michael Wolf Cherry Hill, NJ Megan Worrell Newark, NJ Melvin Wright Burlington Township, NJ Edward Yures Manalapan, NJ Matthew Zaolino Hackensack, NJ Bruce Zeidman Haddonfield, NJ Raymond Zierak Parsippany, NJ Cathy Zobel Cherry Hill, NJ Michael Zogby Florham Park, NJ Beth Zoller Roseland, NJ John Zucker Bayonne, NJ Free Online Legal Research Tool a Hit With Members SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED THIS PAST SPRING, NJSBA’S FREE ONLINE LEGAL RESEARCH TOOL, NJ CITELINESM, HAS DRAWN RAVE REVIEWS FROM MEMBERS, WHO FIND IT SAVES THEM BOTH TIME AND MONEY. NJ CITELINESM HAS ALREADY REGISTERED CLOSE TO 1,500 USERS. NJ CiteLineSM is a customized web-based legal research tool powered by LexisNexis™, a legal, news and business information services provider. Members access NJ CiteLine tion’s SM decisions from 1790 and superior court decisions from 1792; New Jersey Tax Court decisions from 1979; New Jersey Statutes; New Jersey Constitution; New Jersey Administrative Code; and New Jersey Court Rules. NJSBA members can purchase a 12-month subscription to Shepard’s® Citations Service at a 15 percent discount through the links from NJ CiteLineSM, or purchase individual searches or weekly search plans at the standard pricing. Bar members using NJ CiteLineSM also can link to LexisNexis’ broad selection of legal research, some of which is priced according to the NJSBA Member Benefits Program, and can be conveniently purchased using a credit card. For additional information, please contact visit your www.njsba.com LexisNexis or sales through the associawww.njsba.com, website, using a standard web browser, and have unlimited access to areas of New Jersey law. Access to primary New Jersey legal research sources includes New Jersey Supreme Court representative. 24 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 CALENDAR Federal Practice & Procedure Section Business Meeting 1/19/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Board of Consultors Business Meeting 2/24/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Young Lawyers Division Business Meeting 4/12/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Appellate Practice Committee Business Meeting 1/19/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Minorities in the Profession Section Black History Month Reception 2/24/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Construction and Public Contract Law Section Breakfast Meeting 4/13/05 8 a.m. NJ Law Center Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Committee 1/19/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Long-Term Planning Committee Dinner Meeting 3/3/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Board of Consultors Business Meeting 4/14/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Construction and Public Contract Law Section Breakfast Meeting 1/19/05 TBD NJ Law Center Workers’ Compensation Section Executive Committee Business Meeting 3/8/05 2 p.m. NJ Law Center Children’s Rights Committee Business Meeting 4/18/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Paralegal Committee Business Meeting 1/20/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Family Law Section Executive Committee Business Meeting 3/8/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Committee Business Meeting 4/20/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Municipal Court Practice Section Business Meeting 1/24/05 4 p.m. NJ Law Center Young Lawyers Division Business Meeting 3/8/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Federal Practice & Procedure Section Business Meeting 5/2/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Children’s Rights Committee Business Meeting 1/24/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Federal Practice & Procedure Section Business Meeting 3/15/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Health & Hospital Law Section Business Meeting 5/5/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Workers’ Compensation Section Executive Committee Dinner Meeting 1/25/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Construction and Public Contract Law Section Breakfast Meeting 3/16/05 8 a.m. TBD Long-Term Planning Committee Dinner Meeting 5/5/05 6 pm. NJ Law Center Diversity Committee Business Meeting 1/26/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Diversity Committee Business Meeting 3/16/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Children’s Rights Committee Business Meeting 5/9/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Certified Attorneys Section Business Meeting 2/1/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Appellate Practice Committee Business Meeting 3/16/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Appellate Practice Committee Business Meeting 5/11/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center General Practice Section Business Meeting 2/2/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Children’s Rights Committee Business Meeting 3/21/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Municipal Court Practice Section Business Meeting 5/11/05 4 p.m. NJ Law Center Health & Hospital Law Section Business Meeting 2/3/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Committee Business Meeting 3/23/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Children’s Rights Committee Business Meeting 2/7/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Committee Business Meeting 5/11/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Insurance Law Section Business Meeting 3/23/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Labor & Employment Law Section Executive Committee Dinner Meeting 2/7/05 6 p.m. Lou Cas Restaurant General Practice Section Business Meeting 5/11/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Municipal Court Practice Section Business Meeting 3/28/05 4 p.m. NJ Law Center Bankruptcy Law Section Business Meeting 2/7/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Construction and Public Contract Law Section Dinner Meeting 5/11/05 6 p.m. TBD Health & Hospital Law Section Business Meeting 3/31/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Young Lawyers Division Business Meeting 2/8/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Insurance Law Section Business Meeting 6/7/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Labor & Employment Law Section Executive Committee Dinner Meeting 4/11/05 6 p.m. Lou Cas Restaurant Family Law Section Annual Retreat 2/9/05 2/15/05 3 p.m. 6 p.m. New Orleans NJ Law Center Federal Practice & Procedure Section Business Meeting 6/15/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Minorities in the Profession Section General Meeting 4/11/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center Construction and Public Contract Law Section Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Committee Business Meeting 2/23/05 6:30 p.m. NJ Law Center Municipal Court Practice Section Business Meeting 6/27/05 4 p.m. NJ Law Center Family Law Section Executive Committee Business Meeting 4/12/05 6 p.m. NJ Law Center BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3 25 NEW JERSEY STATE BAR ASSOCIATION New Jersey Law Center • One Constitution Square New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1520 (732) 249-5000 • Fax (732) 249-2815 www njsba com Dear Member: We know that attorneys change their venues from time to time and certainly can understand that conveying updates to clients, colleagues and business contacts is a timely process! As a valued member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, we want to be able to continue to provide you with important and timely information on member benefits, meeting notices, and issues of concern to the legal community. We are always striving to continually maintain a member data base of accurate firm affiliation, address, telephone, fax and E-mail information – but we need your help! If you have recently changed your mailing address, firm affiliation, telephone number, fax or E-Mail, (or will be doing so in the near future) please circle the areas that have changed and complete and return this form to us as soon as possible. Please remember to keep us up to date on any changes to your contact information in the future. If you wish, you can also provide updated information to us directly via our website at www.njsba.com and clicking “membership information” and then the “change of address link”. We thank you for your continued support to the New Jersey State Bar Association and for the opportunity to provide you with the many services and benefits available to our members. Name: ___________________________________________________________Effective Date of Change: _________ NJSBA Membership I.D. #: ________________________________ Email:__________________________________________________ Is this your ____home or ____business email? Business Address: (Include Firm Name) ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/Twp. ___________________________________________State _______________ Zip Code_______________ Home Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/Twp. ___________________________________________ State _______________ Zip Code_______________ Do you wish your HOME or BUSINESS listed as the PRIMARY billing address: o Home o Business Kindly also provide us with your current telephone and fax. Telephone # Home: ______________________Telephone # Office: __________________________________ Fax # Home: _____________________________Fax # Office:___________________________________________ Return to: New Jersey State Bar Association _ New Jersey Law Center One Constitution Square _ New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1520 Attention: Nancy DeMarinis – Member Services Department 26 BAR COMMUNIQUÉ | VOL. 3 | NO. 3