In a letter earlier this month, New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) President Kimberly A. Yonta urged Governor Phil Murphy to include attorneys and their support staff among those to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.

"People turn to our courts every day to resolve disputes and seek justice, and while the Judiciary is to be commended for keeping our judicial system operating, opening our courthouses must be a priority for justice to be fully served. Beyond opening the courthouses, there are significant numbers of attorneys who serve critical needs in our communities that are essential to people's lives and our state's economy. To meet those needs, lawyers need to be able to meet freely in person with clients in jails or in their offices, and to attend hearings and other legal proceedings without fear of getting or spreading the virus," Yonta wrote.

"When we are able to reopen courthouses to in-person proceedings, the backlog of cases that will need to be heard will be unprecedented. Lawyers and their support teams in the larger legal community will be integral to ensuring getting the legal rights and remedies of our citizens addressed, and, therefore, should be included in the vaccine schedule at the earliest possible time. Now is the time to vaccinate those in the legal community who will help open the doors to the courthouse and justice system for our residents."

The NJSBA is not asking for a change in the order of scheduled groups for vaccinations, but rather that the state adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for Tier 1c

States are permitted to deviate from CDC guidelines.

The NJSBA also offered the New Jersey Law Center as a possible vaccination site.