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NEW JERSEY
DEFENSE ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT
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Michael J. Leegan, Esq.
PRESIDENT |
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As I enter the second half of my term as President of the New Jersey
Defense Association, I would like to provide a brief summary of what we
have been able to accomplish as an organization.
Our annual insurance coverage seminar on November 20, 2007 was another
great success. The attendees were given a comprehensive presentation
regarding New Jersey’s new UM/UIM statute, potential coverage of
punitive damages and the various issues surrounding the impact of
contractual indemnification clauses, with additional insured coverage.
The oral presentations were only bolstered by the written materials
provided by our panel of speakers. This seminar is just another example
of how our organization provides the most up to date continuing legal
education on the issues facing the civil defense bar in New Jersey.
The Trial College was conducted on February 12, 2008. The Trial College
provides a unique opportunity for both our newest members and our
veteran members to brush up on their trial skills. In today’s practice,
the opportunities to gain trial experience, especially for young
attorneys, are becoming few and far between. The Trial College provides
this experience, under the mentoring of our Association’s most
experienced trial attorneys. The reviews from this year’s attendees
praised the assistance and advice given by our instructors in developing
their skills in the courtroom.
The Association’s legal education component continued with a seminar
presented by our Employment Law Committee on April 4, 2008. The seminar
was hosted in conjunction with the New Jersey Corporate Counsel
Association. The distinguished panel covered various legal topics within
employment law from understanding emotional distress claims, addressing
lost wage claims, strategies to protect employers from claims arising
out of computer misuse/abuse and damages trends in the employer
liability case.
The Association continued with our efforts to represent the voice of the
civil defense bar and insurance industry by opposing the proposed
amendment to the Wrongful Death Act, allowing for the recovery of
“grief” damages. I firmly believe our organization’s efforts in opposing
the amendment played a critical role in educating members of the State
Legislature, and the Governor himself, of the effects the proposal would
have had in creating claims with unlimited and unpredictable damages.
In the remaining months of my term, I want to concentrate on providing
our membership with services that will enable them to work in an ever
changing legal environment. To achieve this endeavor, please feel free
to contact me through our Executive Director with any suggestions,
concerns or thoughts on how I or the Association can best serve your
needs. |