NJ Appellate Law Blog – NJ Appellate Lawyer Bruce D. Greenberg blogs about Appeals and Appellate Law Practice

No Surprise: Supreme Court Grants Review of In re Plan for the Abolition of the Council on Affordable Housing

In In re Plan for the Abolition of the Council on Affordable Housing, 424 N.J. Super. 410 (App. Div. 2012), the Appellate Division held that Governor Christie could not unilaterally...

Can Lawyers Who Sue Clients for Fees Recover Attorneys' Fees for Representing Themselves, and What Interest Rate Can They Collect?

The Supreme Court announced today that it will review the not for publication decision in Kern Augustine Conroy & Schoppmann, P.C. v. DiDonato. As phrased by the Supreme Court Clerk's Office,...

An Abbott v. Burke Anniversary

In Abbott v. Burke, the long-running saga regarding school funding that began with what is now known as Abbott I, 100 N.J. 269 (1985), and continues today, the Supreme Court...

Expungement of Less Serious Criminal Convictions

In re Kollman, Jr., Petition for Expungement, 210 N.J. 557 (2012). "To afford a second chance to one-time offenders convicted of less serious offenses, who have led law-abiding lives since conviction, the...

The Appellate Division Limits DEP's Powers

Des Champs Laboratories, Inc. v. Martin, 427 N.J. Super. 84 (App. Div. 2012). This opinion by Judge Sabatino, for a unanimous Appellate Division panel, may lead to one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in years in the...

Records of Public Law School Clinics Are Not Subject to Open Public Records Act

Sussex Commons Assocs., LLC v. Rutgers, the State University, 210 N.J. 531 (2012). Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and its two law schools are unquestionably subject to the Open Public Records...

It's Tough to Get Around the Workers' Compensation Act's Ban on Employee Lawsuits Against Employers

Van Dunk v. Reckson Associates Realty Corp., 210 N.J. 449 (2012). New Jersey's Workers' Compensation Act, N.J.S.A. 34:15-1 to -128.5 ("the Act"), creates what is normally the sole recourse for an employee...

Will Properly Admitted to Probate Even Though Decedent Didn't Sign It

In re Estate of Richard Ehrlich, 427 N.J. Super. 64 (App. Div. 2012). Richard Ehrlich, a trust and estates lawyer, died. The only purported will of his that could be found was...

Laches Cannot Bar a Claim That is Filed Within the Applicable Statute of Limitations

Fox v. Millman, 210 N.J. 401 (2012). This case is one of many cut from a similar pattern: an employee subject to a duty of loyalty to his employer left that job for a new...

A Statesman/Chief Justice Enables the Supreme Court to Uphold the Affordable Care Act

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 132 S.Ct. 2566 (2012). Today, the Supreme Court of the United States voted 5-4 to uphold the constitutionality of the so-called "individual mandate," a centerpiece...

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A Municipal Court Administrator is Employed by the Township, Not the Administrative Office of the Courts

Palmisano v. State of New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2025). The opening paragraph of Judge Marczyk's opinion for the Appellate Division well encapsulates what the appeal was about and what the result was. "Plaintiff Lindsay Palmisano appeals from the trial court's April 1, 2024 order dismissing her complaint with prejudice against defendant State of New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts and Municipal Division (AOC) pursuant to Rule 4:6-2(e). The primary issue on appeal is whether plaintiff, a municipal court administrator, is an employee of the AOC, thereby allowing her to assert a claim against the AOC under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 to -49. Based on our review of the record and the applicable legal principles, we conclude plaintiff was employed by Vernon Township (Township), not the AOC, and, therefore, we affirm."...

Supreme Court to Take Up Two Published Appellate Division Opinions

The Supreme Court announced that it has granted review in two new appeals. One is before the Court on leave to appeal. The Court granted certification in the other matter....

South Seaside Park Can Detach Itself From Berkeley Township

Whiteman v. Township Council of Berkeley Township, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). South Seaside Park is a small (490 year-round residents) barrier island community that has been annexed to the Township of Berkeley ("the Township"). South Seaside Park sought to deannex itself from the Township and to be annexed instead to the Borough of Seaside Park. South Seaside Park followed a statutory petitioning procedure in doing so. The Township refused consent. South Seaside Park went to court and won a ruling from the Law Division that rejected the Township's refusal. The Appellate Division affirmed. Yesterday, in a unanimous opinion by Justice Patterson, the Supreme Court affirmed as well....

Megan's Law "Not Likely to Pose a Threat to the Safety of Others" Extends to Non-Sexual as Well as Sexual Re-Offenses

In re Registrant S.O., ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2025). This appeal presented a pure legal issue relating to the "public safety prongs" contained in the termination provisions of Megan's Law, N.J.S.A. 2C:7-2(f), and the Community Supervision for Life statute ("CSL"), N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6.4(c). Judge Vanek crystallized that "novel" issue as "whether, on a registrant's application to terminate Megan's Law and CSL obligations, the phrase ‘not likely to pose a threat to the safety of others' should be broadly interpreted with the trial court considering threats to safety from subsequent non-sexual and sexual offenses or whether the inquiry should be limited to the threat of sexual re-offense only." The panel held that the broader view was the correct one....