***A copy of the full order is attached below.***
The Supreme Court has relaxed Rule 1:40-12(a)(4) (“Special Civil Part Settlors”) so as to expand resources for settling landlord/tenant matters during COVID-19. The Court’s September 30, 2020 Order is attached.
The New Jersey courts have committed to supporting tenants and landlords seeking to resolve eviction matters without trial during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, the Court has relaxed Rule 1:40-12(a)(4) to modify training requirements for individuals willing to serve as settlors for landlord/tenant matters. The Court’s action will supplement the pool of qualified landlord/tenant settlors by engaging certain qualified groups, as follows:
- Retired judges not serving on recall – with no additional training required;
- Newly admitted attorneys who served as Judiciary law clerks during the 2019- 2020 term – with five hours of specialized landlord/tenant training (in addition to the six hours of mediation training completed during their recent law clerkship); and
- New Jersey attorneys in good standing willing to volunteer their services – with an abbreviated requirement of six hours of pretrial/settlement conference training (including two hours of observation with an experienced landlord/tenant settlor) plus five hours of landlord/tenant training.
The Judiciary will provide additional information and free virtual training programs for attorneys interested in volunteering their services as landlord/tenant settlors.
Questions may be directed to the Civil Practice Division at (609) 815-2900 x54900.
/s/ Hon. Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D.
Acting Administrative Director of the Courts
Dated: October 9, 2020