New Jersey Supreme Court Rule Amendments

Brief Summary
New Jersey has amended several court rules. One of the amendments allows in-house counsel who are not full New Jersey bar members to represent a company’s employees in certain circumstances.

Complete Summary
Effective September 1, 2008, the New Jersey Supreme Court amended a number of court rules. Among other things, in-house counsel who are not licensed in New Jersey, but who hold limited New Jersey licenses to practice, may now represent “employees, directors, officers, members, partners, [or] shareholders” in respect to proceedings or claims that involve the employer, so long as regular conflicts rules are complied with. New Jersey Rule 1:27-2(a)(iii).

Significance of Amendments
New Jersey has been one of the more restrictive states in terms of allowing practice by out of state lawyers. These amendments exhibit a move toward a more open standard.

This alert has been prepared by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP to provide information on recent legal developments of interest to our readers. It is not intended to provide legal advice for a specific situation or to create an attorney-client relationship.

Register Now for the Eighth Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference and receive a 10% Early Bird Discount before December 1, 2008  

March 4-6, 2009

The Westin Chicago River North Hotel
320 North Dearborn
Chicago, Illinois

Attend the industry's premier annual event focused on current and important developments in the law and litigation of malpractice claims, legal malpractice insurance and risk management strategies. Each conference panel examines recent case law and significant developments throughout the last year. One and one-half days will be devoted to legal malpractice (March 4-5), and one and one-half days will be devoted to risk management (March 5-6). The conference will be held in Chicago at The Westin Chicago River North Hotel.

Earn up to 13.75 hours of CLE credit including up to 5.50 ethics credit!

Conference Topics

Legal Malpractice Sessions (March 4-5)
• Guess Where You Are Being Sued — Bankruptcy Court
• What You Need to Know About Developments in Litigating Legal Malpractice Claims
• Beyond the Basics — Selecting and Using Expert Witnesses
• Insurance Law — Prior Knowledge and Additional Negligence Claims
• Statutory Causes of Action — Consumer Protection Statutes
• Can I Say What Really Happened?
• Stump the Panel

Legal Malpractice/Risk Management Cross-Over Sessions (March 5)
• In the Spotlight — The Exposure of Patent Lawyers
• The Insurance Marketplace
• How to Mitigate Your Damage Exposure as a Defendant

Keynote Address (March 5)
• The Debate Over the Billable Hour: A Rigorous Look at Competing Law Firm Profitability Models

Risk Management Sessions (March 5-6)
• The General Counsel Forum
• Plaintiff’s Perspective — Red Flags and Selection Criteria
• Risk Management and Electronic Advertising — Websites and E-mail
• Going, Going, Gone: Lawyers Who Leave and the Firms Left Behind
• On the Horizon — MJP, Alternative Business Structures, and Alternative Billing

Registration Fees
$1,300 for the Entire Conference — March 4-6
$925 for the Legal Malpractice Sessions Only — March 4-5
$925 for the Risk Management Sessions Only — March 5-6

Discounts (maximum 15% discount)
Returning registrants receive 5% off the conference price
Multiple registrants receive 15% off when another colleague from the same company registers (one full paid registrant required)
Early birds receive 10% until December 1, 2008

For more information, please visit www.LMRM.com or click here to Register Online Now! To speak with the Conference Planner, Katherine McCormack, please call 312-704-3329.