By Stephanie Vaccaro, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — In its 113th year in existence, the New Jersey State Bar Association has done something relatively rare — it appointed a woman as its president.
Attorney Susan A. Feeney, a partner who specializes in tax matters at McCarter & English in Newark, became the seventh female president of the New Jersey State Bar Association at an installation ceremony in Atlantic City on May 19. During Ms. Feeney’s one-year term as president she will interact with county bar associations on issues applicable to both the state and the county, as well as diversity bar and specialty bar associations. She will also serve as the spokesperson for the association and will lobby for the group, interact with the Judiciary, legislature and executive branch.
Ms. Feeney takes over the bar leadership from Rick Steen, a Princeton attorney.
”I just completed my term as president and am very pleased that Sue has taken over the position,” said Mr. Steen. “I know she’ll do an outstanding job as president of the association.”
”In recent months we’ve spoken out on the independence of the judiciary,” said Ms. Feeney, citing the importance that it not be subjected to any pressure from the executive side or legislative branches of government.
”In addition, most presidents also take on projects relevant to their interests — I have three,” said Ms. Feeney. She vowed to devote the association’s resources to fostering diversity, encouraging attorneys to do more pro bono service and marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with a day of service.
”The responsibility is on us as the state’s largest lawyers group to take a step, not just for one year, but to begin what I hope will be a systematic change,” said Ms. Feeney at the ceremony. “We need to make diversity issues part of the mainstream.”
In March she invited diversity bar leaders to her office. She said those leaders think there has been a lot of talk but not much action. Programs are being planned for this year with diversity partners of major law firms. There will be panel discussions about how to keep people of diverse backgrounds at their law firms and on the partner track.
”It’s my goal this year that we have regular meetings,” she said. “Not only that we can talk about issues that arise under diversity, but that we get to know each other and work together on these issues.”
”I would like to improve the representation of people of diverse backgrounds,” said Ms. Feeney. As a part of her initiative, one-third of standing committee appointments will be made to of people of diverse backgrounds.
”We’re also going to work throughout the year to improve diversity representation within the state bar,” said Ms. Feeney. They’ll also be working more to partner with diversity bars and specialty bars.
Ms. Feeney has already gotten started on issues surrounding pro bono work with the creation of a task force to examine the justice gap and ways the legal community could address the needs of poor residents and the organizations that serve them. The task force will examine where the services are being provided, where the needs are, where the funding comes from and then make recommendations about how lawyers can better meet the needs of the state in a more efficient way, she said.
The state bar association and judiciary also released a video educating attorneys about the obligation to do pro bono work and how they can find ways to help, she said.
”Taking the skills that we have as lawyers and giving back to people whose lives are in jeopardy because of legal issues is what being a lawyer is all about,” said Ms. Feeney at the ceremony.
”I have been involved in providing pro bono legal services throughout my career,” said Ms. Feeney. She has been involved with the Legal Services Foundation of Essex County, assisting with its capital campaign drives where they raise money from law firms, and then make grants to legal service providers. One such organization that benefits from the funds is the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, an organization that receives free office space from her firm.
Plans are underway to organize volunteer attorneys to hold a day of service in the state’s courthouses and educational sessions in schools around New Jersey to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11. Space will be allocated in every courthouse throughout the state for pro bono legal services for victim’s families and first responders on Sept. 12, said Ms. Feeney.
The association will remain committed to helping lawyers whose careers have suffered in the economic downturn, advocating for the integrity and independence of the judiciary, and providing affordable, high-quality continuing legal education, said Ms. Feeney.
”I’m just really looking forward to the year,” said Ms. Feeney, who has been a member of the NJSBA for nearly 30 years and served on the association’s board of trustees from 2001 to 2006.
Six years ago Ms. Feeney became secretary of the association and continued moving through the chairs of the executive committee, a process that prepares individuals to become the president.
”Generally, once somebody gets in the secretary spot they continue and just move up the ladder,” said Ms. Feeney.Ms. Feeney moved Skillman 21 years with her husband when they were newly married. “I really fell in love with it,” she said. When they divorced, she bought her husband’s share of the home and remained.
”I just think it’s a beautiful place to live,” she said, noting that her hometown affords her instant relaxation after working in Newark all day, and she’s happy to live in close proximity to Princeton as well.

