Legal Team Supports League Efforts

Once again, developments in all three branches of state government have meant another busy year for the League legal staff. League Counsels have been very involved with the issue of affordable housing and the League’s challenge to the COAH regulations. NJLM filed its brief in January 2009. COAH filed its response brief in March, and the League in turn filed its reply in April. In total, there are 24 different challenges to the regulations, including those by the League, smaller coalitions of municipalities, individual municipalities, home builders, commercial developers and housing advocates. It is impossible to predict when the Court will schedule oral arguments or when a decision will be forthcoming.

The League Staff Attorney and League General Counsel, Bill Kearns, continued to monitor court decisions that may have an impact on municipalities. Important decisions were brought to the attention of municipal officials. The Staff Attorney monitors proposed state regulations and court rules, and together with outside counsel, has arranged for and prepared comments on those with municipal impact.

One of these was the pre-proposal on identity theft/ computer security rules issued by the Division of Consumer Affairs, revised after the League joined with other stakeholders and convinced the Division to reconsider the most burdensome part of these regulations. The League also commented on proposed changes by the Division of Pension and Benefits concerning State Health Benefit Plan regulations.

The Staff Attorney also responded to legal questions and issues from municipal officials through the NJLM Legal Consultation Service. And the Staff Attorney, General Counsel and other members of our legal team all consult with the Legislative Relations staff on bills introduced in the Senate and General Assembly.

The League considers requests from municipalities or municipal attorneys for intervention in court cases on behalf of specific local governments. Intervention requests are submitted to the League General Counsel and are considered by the Amicus Curiae Committee.

In August, the League’s first Staff Attorney, Deborah Kole, resigned. We appreciate her professional and valuable contributions to our service program. Her replacement, Matthew Weng, joined us in September.

 

General Counsel	Senior Assistant Counsel	Assistant Counsel	Assistant Counsel
William John Kearns, Jr. Kearns, Vassallo & Kearns Willingboro	Stuart Keonig Stickel, Keonig & Sullivan Cedar Grove	Edward J. Buzak Edward J Buzak Montville	Edwin W. Schmierer Mason Griffin Pierson Princeton
Staff Attorney	Labor Counsel	Assistant Labor Counsel
Matthew Weng League of Municipalities Trenton	Angelo J. Genova Genova, Burns & Veronia Livingston	Brian Kronick Genova, Burns & Veronia Livingston
Associate Legal Counsels
Martin Allen DiFrancesco, Bateman, Coley, Yospin, Kunzman, Davis & Lehrer Warren	John Belardo McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter Morristown	Joseph F. Betley Capehart & Scatchard Mount Laurel	Duane Davison Lomurro, Davison, Eastman & Munoz Freehold
John Gillespie Associate Legal Counsel Parker, McKay & Criscuolo	Lewis Goldshore Environmental Advisor Goldshore, Cash & Kalac Lawrenceville	Kristina P. Hadinger Mason, Griffin & Pierson Princeton	William Harla DeCotis, FItzPatrick, Cole & Wisler, LLP Teaneck
Michael J. Herbert Herbert, Van Ness, Cayci & Goodell Princeton	Jason Holt City Attorney East Orange	Edward J. Kologi City Attorney Linden
John Kraft John L. Kraft Livingston	John Lloyd League Tax Counsel Nowell, Amoroso, Klein & Bierman,   Hackensack	Edward McKenna McKenna, DuPont, Higgins & Stone Red Bank
Edward J. McManimon Economic Development Counsel McManimon & Scotland Newark	Matthew S. Rogers Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Aminio, P.C. Woodcliff Lake	Joel Shain Electric Deregulation Counsel Township Attorney Monroe
Jeffrey Surenian Jeffrey R. Surenian & Associates, LLC Brielle	Trishka Waterbury Mason, Griffin & Pierson Princeton	Sharon Weiner Scarinci & Hollenbeck Lundhurst	Saul Wolfe League Tax Counsel Skoloff & Wolfe Livingston