As I’ve mentioned previously, judge shortages in NJ Superior Courts plus COVID delays have created significant backlogs in cases. In seven NJ counties (Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, and Passaic) the judge shortages were so severe that the court was not holding any matrimonial or civil trials. Criminal trials, which have constitutional guarantees of
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Honored to Speak to Employment and ADR Inns of Court
On Tuesday, I was honored to speak to a joint meeting of the Reitman Employment Inn of Court and the Garibaldi ADR (alternative dispute resolution) Inn of Court. Inns of Court are statewide groups with members from the bar (lawyers) and bench (judges). The Inns act as a more social way to have conversations between…
Why You Should Settle A Fee Shifting Case
Fee shifting is permitted when a statute or contractual provision provides for the loser of a lawsuit to pay the winner’s legal costs. Generally in the United States, we follow the “American Rule” where each party in a lawsuit pays for their own legal costs. There are some public policy issues where the legislature wants…
ChatGPT is Not Your Lawyer
ChatGPT is all the rage these days. Ask it a question and it gives you an answer. But use it at your own risk, as some New York attorneys recently discovered.
If you are unfamiliar, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence that is largely free to use. It is still a work in progress. Many people…
Get Your Mediated Agreement in Writing and Signed! (Or it didn’t happen)
In 2013, the NJ Supreme Court ruled in Willingboro Mall, LTD. v. 240/242 Franklin Avenue, L.L.C. that in order for an agreement coming out of mediation to be enforceable by the courts, it must be in writing and signed by all parties. I wrote extensively about that case.
Fast forward ten years and…
What is Summary Judgment?
Perhaps you’ve heard the term summary judgment and always wondered about it. If so, read on.
What is Summary Judgment?
Generally speaking, trials in civil cases are about determining facts. The finder of fact, whether it is a jury or a judge (in bench trials), picks whose story they believe more. The judge’s job is…
Why Hire a Lawyer?
In 2016, Massachusetts lawyer Robert Ambrogi wrote a blog post about a then-new service that attempted to “rank” attorneys based on their court results. The founders were two undergrads from Harvard University and the first covered state was Massachusetts (it appears they no longer offer this service). The question arises whether court outcomes are the…
Online Mediation Works for Parties and Mediators
The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in the United States in 2020 has changed many things. Online dispute resolution (ODR) and online mediation have become widely used. Many mediators — me included — had concerns about how effective ODR would be. From the mediator’s perspective, we miss out on a lot, particularly body language.
From my…
NJ Civil trials delayed by COVID. How long?
It’s no secret that the COVID pandemic has delayed all kinds of trials in NJ state courts. The courts were generally closed for the last two years and several counties either remain closed or are still holding trials via Zoom. In addition to COVID, the courts have a significant shortage of judges.
Civil parts of…
40-Hour Civil Mediation Training in June 2022. Become a NJ Court Mediator.
If you are interested in becoming a civil/business mediator, I am teaching the basic 40-Hour Civil Mediation Training Course in June 2022. This course covers the training qualification for admission to the New Jersey Superior Court roster. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is being held online via Zoom. For more information, please visit the…