NEW JERSEY LAW REVISION COMMISSION

Overview of the Commission and its Work

Establishment

The New Jersey Law Revision Commission was created in 1985 by the New Jersey Legislature. The Commission was given the responsibility to review the New Jersey statutes and to recommend changes to improve and modernize the statutory law. See P.L.1985, c.498, N.J.S.A. 1:12A-1 et seq.The Commission fulfills this mandate through annual and periodic reports to the Legislature containing recommendations for the adoption, repeal and amendment of statutes.

Predecessor Commissions

The Commission became operational in 1986; however, the concept of permanent, institutionalized statutory revision and codification is not new in New Jersey The first Law Revision Commission was established in 1925. That commission produced the Revised Statutes of 1937. The intent of the Legislature was that the work of revision and codification continue after the Revised Statutes, so the Law Revision Commission continued in operation. After 1939, its functions passed to a number of successor agencies. Most recently, statutory revision and codification were among the duties of Legislative Counsel (N.J.S.A. 52:11-61). By 1985, c.498, the Legislature transferred the functions of statutory revision and codification to the New Jersey Law Revision Commission.

How the Commission Operates

The Commission considers suggestions for revision projects from legislators, the commissioners themselves, staff, members of the legal community and the public. Once a project is assigned, staff members commence research and prepare memoranda on issues to be presented to the commissioners. Research may include conventional legal research on cases and statutes, as well as interviews with members of the legal community, persons in government, or any other parties who may have information relevant to the particular subject matter. When preliminary drafting and redrafting is complete, the commissioners may approve a "tentative report" for formal circulation to the public for comment. Depending upon the project, a second or third "tentative report" may be issued for comment prior to the approval of a "final report" which is formally submitted to the Legislature.

Commissioners and Staff

The Commission consists of four appointed attorney members, the deans of New Jersey's three ABA-approved law schools, and the chairs of the Judiciary Committees in the State Senate and State Assembly. Currently the commissioners are:

• Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr., Chairman, Attorney at Law, Roseland, N.J.
• John H. Adler, Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee
• Linda R. Greenstein Chair, Assembly Judiciary Committee
• Stuart Deutsch, Dean, Rutgers University School of Law, Newark
• Rayman Solomon, Dean, Rutgers University School of Law, Camden
• Patrick Hobbs, Dean, Seton Hall University School of Law
• Andrew O. Bunn, Attorney at Law, Newark, N.J.
• Albert Burstein, Attorney-at-Law, Hackensack, N.J.
• Hon. Sylvia Pressler, P.J.A.D., Retired, from December 2004

At the present time, Dean Solomon is represented by Grace Bertone, Attorney at Law, Morristown, N.J.; Dean Hobbs is represented by Professor William Garland of Seton Hall Law School; and Dean Deutsch is represented by Professor Bernard Bell of Rutgers Law School.

Staff:

• John M. Cannel, Executive Director
• John J.A. Burke, Assistant Executive Director
• Judith Ungar, Counsel
• Laura C. Tharney, Counsel
• Jenene J. Hatchard, Administrative Assistant
• Ksenia Takhistova, Law Student Intern

The New Jersey Uniform Law Commissioners are: Barry Evenchick, Joseph Donegan and Daniel O'Hern.

 

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