This publishes for comment the Report of the Supreme Working Group on the Proposed Preadmission Pro Bono Requirement. This report also will be available on the Judiciary’s internet web site at http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/reports2013/index.htm.
The Working Group, chaired by Judge Glenn A. Grant, Acting Administrative Director of the Court, was charged with the task of determining whether New Jersey should establish a preadmission pro bono requirement for applicants to the New Jersey Bar and, if so, the parameters of such a program. The Working Group, appointed by Chief Justice Rabner on behalf of the Supreme Court, was comprised of a cross-section of New Jersey organizations, including legal service providers, the three law schools in the state, and representatives from several bar associations. The Working Group’s recommendation is that the Supreme Court adopt a preadmission pro bono requirement. The specifics of the Working Group’s recommendation are set forth in the report. The bases underlying the Working Group’s recommendation are (a) to help serve the growing population of New Jersey residents who are in need of legal services but are unable to afford them, (b) to provide law students legal experience assisting underserved populations in a wide variety of legal contexts, (c) to provide positive pro bono experiences for law students and prospective attorneys in order to instill a career-long habit of pro bono service, and (d) to assist our legal system and democracy by ensuring that the court’s adversarial system is able to operate as intended.
