The Supreme Court has approved a background screening policy for certain proposed guardians of incapacitated adults. The Court also has amended Rule 4:86 (“Action for Guardianship of an Incapacitated Person or for the Appointment of a Conservator”) so as to implement the policy. As approved by the Judicial Council, a new Certification of Criminal and Civil Judgment History has been promulgated, along with revised versions of a number of other court forms.

Proposed guardians in matters filed on or after May 15, 2021 will be subject to this new background screening policy. Directive #11-21 (“Guardianships of Incapacitated Adults – Background Screening Policy for Proposed Guardians; New and Revised Court Forms”) promulgates the new policy as well as the new and revised forms. This memo outlines the steps necessary for implementation of the policy.

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Notice is hereby given to the Bar and all interested parties that the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey proposes to amend the Local Civil Rules. The proposed amendments are posted for public comment as required by 28 U.S.C. § 2071(b) at http://www.njd.uscourts.gov.

Amendment are proposed to the following Local Civil Rule:

New Text underlined.

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The Supreme Court has extended the end-date for post-indictment excludable time for the additional period from May 18, 2021 through June 15, 2021. The Court’s April 9, 2021 Order is attached.

As set forth in the Court’s April 9, 2021 Order, current COVID-19 trends indicate that it is too soon to expand on-site presence and in-person events, including for purposes of in-person jury trials. Public health indicators – including the millions of COVID-19 vaccines administered statewide – instead suggest that the Judiciary should be positioned to resume in-person jury trials on or after June 15, 2021.

Jurors who have been summoned to report for service before June 15, 2021 will be assigned to panels for virtual civil jury trials. All counties will continue to summon jurors for upcoming reporting dates. Judges will adjust trial dates for in-person trials as necessary.

Questions about this notice or the Court’s April 9, 2021 Order may be directed to the Office of the Administrative Director of the Courts at (609) 376-3000.

/s/ Hon. Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D.

Acting Administrative Director of the Courts

Dated: April, 9, 2021

NOTICE COVID-19 Extension of Post-Indictment Excludable Time; Delay in Resumption of In-Person Jury Trials.pdf

Attorneys were previously advised of the added security requirement to use two-factor authentication when accessing the online 2021 Attorney Registration application (Notice dated November 30, 2020). This notice is to advise that effective May 1, 2021, the two-factor authentication requirement will be extended to all Judiciary applications used by attorneys.

As indicated in that earlier notice, two-factor authentication uses the email address or cell phone number previously provided by attorneys and verified/updated as part of the 2021 Attorney Registration process.

To assist attorneys through this expansion of the two-factor authentication beyond the Attorney Registration application, the Superior Court Clerk’s Office is making available at no cost training on the use of the two-factor authentication process. This training will include the legal and ethical requirements related to Judiciary information security. Additionally, Judiciary staff will provide useful techniques to troubleshoot problems and provide answers to frequently asked questions related to two-factor authentication.

The sessions will be conducted using Microsoft Teams. Attorneys must register in advance. The scheduled training sessions are as follows:

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On April 6th, Eileen P. Mulroy, a native of Bergen County, was sworn in as the 123rd President of the Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA). Ms. Mulroy is the fifth woman to lead the organization. She has been a member of the BCBA since 1983. In 2007, she became a Trustee, where she served for 9 years, and in 2016, she was elevated to the position of  Secretary of the BCBA. Over the years, Ms. Mulroy has served on several BCBA committees, including Bench/Bar, By-Laws, Continuing Legal Education, Membership, Memorial Service, and is the current co-chair of the Workers’ Compensation Committee. Ms. Mulroy served as President of Women Lawyers in Bergen (WLIB) from 2003-2005 and recently completed her two-year term as President of the Bergen County Bar Foundation. She also served as a member and Chair of the New Jersey Supreme Court District IIB Ethics Committee. Ms. Mulroy remains an active member of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) and is a frequent presenter on the topic of workers’ compensation and insurance at the NJSBA’s mid-year meeting. Read More

The Supreme Court has issued the attached Eleventh Omnibus Order on Court Operations and Legal Practice during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This March 23, 2021 Eleventh Omnibus Order extends pre-indictment excludable time for certain detained defendants and notes that further extensions are not anticipated. It also extends post-indictment excludable time through May 17, 2021. The Court’s March 23, 2021 Eleventh Omnibus Order authorizes Assignment Judges and County Prosecutors to explore and plan for in-person grand jury sessions at a future date, either in court locations or non-court spaces, consistent with the provisions of the Court’s October 8, 2020 Ninth Omnibus Order.

The March 23, 2021 Eleventh Omnibus Order continues other provisions of earlier Orders.

Questions about this notice or the Court’s Eleventh Omnibus Order may be directed to the Office of the Administrative Director of the Courts at (609) 376-3000.

/s/ Hon. Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D.

Acting Administrative Director of the Courts

Dated: March 23, 2021

NOTICE Eleventh Omnibus Order on Court Operations and Legal Practice.pdf

It has been one year since the pandemic lockdowns began and since my term as the 122nd president of the Bergen County Bar Association commenced. We have all endured difficulties and losses over the year, both personally and professionally. Our year as an Association was markedly different from years past: there was no beefsteak, no annual dinner, no in-person meetings or CLEs.  It has been a full year since we have shaken hands with each other. My swearing-in was a quiet private event conducted by Judge Mizdol and attended by my wife Demetra, Frank, and Tyler. Neither my children nor my father could attend due to the newly imposed restrictions.  Every one of our officer and trustee meetings was conducted via Zoom.  The honorary gavel, which has passed down to each bar president, has remained silent in its velvet pouch. The COVID restrictions not only challenged our members but put the Association in a precarious financial position. From day one, we had to rethink and reimagine how to conduct Bar business and bring value to our members amidst this great challenge. As my term comes to a close, I am pleased to state that we met every challenge and prevailed as an Association.  This was not an individual accomplishment but one shared by the Association’s employees, officers, trustees, and members.   We did it with the support of our Bergen County Judiciary and our local elected officials. We did it with the support of the officers and trustees of the Bergen County Bar Foundation.  We did it with the financial sacrifice of our employees. We did it as an Association. Thank you.

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