New Jersey Supreme Court Appoints James R. Zazzali to Chair Panel to Study Model Rules of Ethics Changes

James R. Zazzali, Of Counsel at Gibbons P.C. and retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, has been appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to chair a panel to study model rules of ethics changes.

The New Jersey Supreme Court appointed this committee to study an array of ABA-adopted ethics rules changes that address the advancing technology and increasing mobility of lawyers in this age of globalization. Former Chief Justice Zazzali will chair the panel along with vice chair Paula Franzese, a professor at Seton Hall University School of Law. The committee is made up of 27 other members, including retired judges and experienced lawyers.

At Gibbons, Mr. Zazzali advises clients on such matters as corporate governance, institutional ethics, internal investigations, appeals, mediation, and arbitration. He joined Gibbons in 2007, after retiring from the bench. Mr. Zazzali had served on the Supreme Court for over six years, and had written more than 100 opinions, before Governor Jon Corzine named him Chief Justice in 2006. Prior to his service on the bench, Mr. Zazzali had served as general counsel for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; Chairman of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation; New Jersey Attorney General; Chief of the Appeals Division of the Office of the Essex County Prosecutor; as well as other positions in addition to his private law practice. He is also a former Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall Law School, where he taught alternative dispute resolution and arbitration.