News of a severe medical diagnosis like a stroke, heart attack or cancer is daunting enough. Add to it the challenge of running a law practice, which includes meeting the needs of clients, the courts and keeping the lights on, and it can be overwhelming.

New Jersey State Bar Association President John E. Keefe Jr., a cancer survivor, knows exactly how difficult it can be. That's why he created the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Task Force, with a mission to find ways to help lawyers in times of crisis.

Now, the NJSBA launched an online resource center to help attorneys navigate the difficult journey of a medical crisis.

“The New Jersey State Bar Association is here to help. We know all too well how scary that can be on a personal and professional level. We want to be a resource for attorneys who find themselves in that harrowing state. We have assembled resources and guidance and will continue working with organized bars around the state to ensure there is a safety net for our brothers and sisters who find themselves in need,” said Keefe.

Online Portal Launched

The Lawyers Helping Lawyers portal is at njsba.com.

It has tools that will help attorneys plan ahead. A preparedness checklist aims to assist all lawyers, especially those in solo and small firms, in organizing documents, like a list of active clients, important deadlines and passwords, and identifying a colleague who can be counted on to step in and help.

It has sample letters that an attorney can personalize to send to clients, colleagues and even the courts.

The portal also serves as a way to reach out for help. Lawyers facing medical issues can email [email protected] and the association will work to help connect the attorney with a network of assistance.

Next Steps

The portal was one of several recommendations of the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Task Force, which spent a year examining the ways the legal community can help. That work included examining the issues that affect litigators, transactional attorneys, the courts and bar associations. It also conducted extensive nationwide research to learn how bar associations and court systems around the country address the issues. The NJSBA's Board of Trustees adopted the task force's report and vowed to implement the recommendations it made.

NJSBA 2019-2020 President Evelyn Padin said she will continue the task force going so that it can find more ways to help lawyers. In the coming year, the association will work with county and affinity bar associations to establish procedures and rosters of attorneys in various specialties who may be willing to provide temporary assistance to a colleague since these are the entities that most attorneys and local courts will turn to first when crisis hits.

“I love lawyers. I love being a lawyer. And I hope to think that we have helped lawyers,” Keefe said.