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

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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By Charles J.X. Kahwaty

Different tradesmen use different tools in their work. A baseball catcher relies on his glove and a quick arm. A mechanic on his wrench and plyers. A writer on the power of his pen. But if you know Frank O’Marrra, his tool has always been the telephone. And after January 22, 2021, that phone will be a little quieter.

For on that date Francis R. O’Marra, Jr., the longest serving Executive Director of the Bergen County Bar Association, will retire. The words retirement, and Frank O’Marra, are two expressions few ever thought they would see in the same sentence. For Frank has been both glue and lubricant for one of the largest county bar associations in the state, one which grew during his tutelage to approximately 2000 members. His counsel has been sought, not just within the county, but from both county and state bar associations throughout New Jersey.
Undoubtedly, that will not stop with his retirement. Read More

On Monday, February 25th at the Bergen County Courthouse, the Bergen County Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Foundation, and The Record sponsored a free Community Legal Education Seminar open to the general public and legal community. Key-note speaker, Scott H. Novak, Esq., BCBA’s Tax Law Committee Co-Chair (Pictured on the Bottom), presented information on the recently enacted federal tax law. Th Association and Foundation plan to sponsor additional Community Legal Education Programs  for both the public and practicing attorneys throughout the year.