By Charles J. Hollenbeck

First Executive Director of the New Jersey State Commission on Professionalism in the Law

When the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law met for the first time 25 years ago today, the cooperative venture was a relatively new concept in the country. Formed with the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), state Judiciary and New Jersey's two law schools, the commission's primary goal was to encourage the observance of the highest standards of professional behavior among lawyers and judges, thereby helping to improve the profession and bolster public confidence in the legal system. The federal Judiciary was added to the commission several years later.