TRENTON — An account funded by lawyers and judges has paid out $131,559.11 this year for losses six attorneys caused clients, officials said today. The New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection pays claims "on behalf of the honest majority of lawyers for the wrongdoing of the few who are suspended or disbarred for misappropriation," a statement released by...
An empty courtroom in the Newark Superior Courthouse, in this 2009 file photo.TRENTON — An account funded by lawyers and judges has paid out $131,559.11 this year for losses six attorneys caused clients, officials said today.
The New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection pays claims "on behalf of the honest majority of lawyers for the wrongdoing of the few who are suspended or disbarred for misappropriation," a statement released by the fund’s board of trustees said.
Created by the New Jersey State Bar Association in 1961, the fund originally collected voluntary contributions from practicing lawyers. Eight years later, the state Supreme Court established attorney assessments that generate about $3 million a year.
The claims paid so far this year were made against Matthew G. Connolly, who practiced in Hoboken, $25,000; Francis X. Hermes, Somerville, $750; Dawn L. Jackson, West Paterson $2,000; Gerhard Krahn; Maywood, $2,147; Steven J. Lanza, Fort Lee, $26,702.11; and Ian W. Marrero, Franklin Park, $75,000.
The fund has paid claims against 646 attorneys — approximately three-quarters of 1 percent of the 86,167 lawyers currently licensed in the state.
Seven trustees — five attorneys and two public members — are appointed by the Supreme Court to administer the account. They consider clients’ claims and make awards when it is determined losses were caused by "dishonest lawyer conduct," under the fund’s rules.
"Cases of legal malpractice and negligence are resolved through civil court actions and fee disputes through the district fee arbitration committees established by the Supreme Court," the statement said.
• May 2008: Clients cheated by lawyers eligible for more money
For a claim to be considered, the lawyer must have been a member of the bar, "acting as either attorney or fiduciary, at the time of the incident." If the lawyer is not deceased, he or she must have been disbarred or suspended, or convicted of "embezzlement or other misappropriation of property."
Claim forms can be obtained by writing to: The New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, P.O. Box 961, Trenton, NJ 08625-0961, or by calling (609) 292-8008.