The New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Board of Trustees met earlier this month to tackle a number of issues, ranging from new benefits to involvement in a statewide campaign celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.

The NJSBA received a clean bill of health from its auditors at the meeting. WithumSmith+Brown conducted the audit for the NJSBA's financial transactions in fiscal year 2018. The auditors said they will issue an unmodified opinion, which is the top designation. The audit confirms the NJSBA's financials are free of misstatements, that its financial reports have been conducted with accuracy and transparency, and that all policies and procedures are up to date with current accounting standards. The NJSBA has a roughly $12 million annual budget to serve its over 18,000 members and offer hundreds of educational programs through the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE).

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New Law Office Management Services for Members

The board picked a vendor to support PracticeHQ, a new suite of law office management services the NJSBA will offer to members, providing practical guidance and advice about running a law firm.

The new service will include live consultations where members can meet with professionals to get help with the wide range of issues that come with running a law firm. In addition, there will be a new email hotline for members to ask questions and troubleshoot challenges they face in the day-to-day operation of their firms. The NJSBA will also offer a webinar series, articles, and a library of white papers and checklists that provide guidance on topics such as disaster preparedness, business succession, human resource matters, and head-to-head comparisons of technology such as computers and office software programs. Practice HQ will be launched in the weeks ahead. Visit njsba.com for updates.

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Special NJICLE Programs Coming Soon

The trustees also approved a host of special speakers to present continuing legal education programs, primarily during the holiday season, when volunteer speakers are often busy. The special programs coming soon to the NJICLE calendar include:

  • The Ultimate Springsteen CLE Experience
  • Clarence Darrow and Legal Ethics in the 21st Century
  • Hollywood, the Holocaust and the Law
  • Joel Oster, Comedian at Law
  • A Comedic De-Briefing of the Law
  • Dan Small on Powerful Witness Preparation
  • Flip Your Memory Switch with Matthew Goerke, an American Memory Master

Visit njicle.com to see the latest schedule.

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Other Actions

The trustees agreed the NJSBA will be a partner in the statewide NJ Women Vote 2020, a campaign that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees and protects women's right to vote.

The trustees also voted to update the NJSBA policy regarding the makeup of the Nominating Committee to ensure that larger, mid-sized, and smaller sections all have a regular opportunity to serve on the committee.