Notice - Attorney Applicants Sought for District Ethics Committee Secretary for Essex County (Newark) (DEC VA)

The Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE) is seeking attorney applicants for the volunteer position of District Ethics Committee (DEC) secretary for DEC VA, which covers the city of Newark in Essex County. The OAE Director, after consultation with the DEC chair, appoints the secretary, pursuant to R. 1:20-3(c), for performance of the functions specified in R. 1:20-3. The secretary must be an attorney with an office in the District or County and is not a member of the Committee.

The District Secretary is a volunteer position that performs critical tasks attendant to the operation of the local DEC and the attorney disciplinary system as a whole. The selected District Secretary is paid an emolument set by the Supreme Court to reimburse for costs and expenses. The selected District Secretary will also receive an annual award of four (4) continuing legal education credits which satisfy the professionalism/ethics requirements and an annual pro bono service “Madden” exemption. The secretary’s duties include::

• keeping full and complete records of all DEC proceedings;
• maintaining files (including in electronic format in the OAE database), of all inquiries and grievances received and investigations undertaken, with such records scanned and uploaded in the OAE database on a timely basis;
• ensuring careful adherence to the Court Rules for the processing of grievances and of docketed cases within the time goals set by the Court;
• working with the DEC chair and vice chair to administer the DEC, by coordinating the DEC monthly meetings and by assisting in overseeing the timely completion of all investigations and hearings on the DEC’s docket of pending cases; and
• timely responding to inquiries from the OAE, the public, attorneys, courts, DEC officers and members, and/or interested parties about the ethics process and attorney disciplinary system.

The Judiciary is committed to maintaining an inclusive volunteer corps that reflects the diversity of the population it serves.

Any candidate who seeks to apply for the position should submit a letter of interest and a resume, to be received by October 25, 2024, to OAE.mbx@njcourts.gov, or by mail to the following address:

Director, Office of Attorney Ethics
P.O. Box 963
Trenton, NJ 08625

Questions concerning this Notice to the Bar may also be directed to the e-mail address above or to (609) 403-7800, extension 34117.