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A major Appellate Division argument, appellate briefing, and other work has interfered with keeping up with the courts during December.  So it’s time for one of this blog’s periodic “catch-up” posts.  Here, in summary, is some of what the Supreme Court, the Appellate Division, and the Third Circuit have done in the past several weeks. New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency v. R.L.M., ___ N.J. ___ (2018).  Writing for a unanimous Court on an issue of first impression, Justice Patterson held that a parent has the right to represent himself or herself in...

Balducci v. Cige, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2018).  This opinion by Judge Nugent today affirmed a trial level decision, after a plenary hearing, that voided a retainer agreement between the defendant attorney and the plaintiff client for defendant to bring suit under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq. (“LAD”).  Such cases are normally handled on a contingency, but the agreement at issue here went well beyond that.  Every attorney, even those who do not handle LAD or other contingent matters, can learn from this opinion, which tackles ethical...