General Counsel of the Year AwardsThe New Jersey Civil Justice Institute is thrilled to announce that our chief counsel, Alida Kass, is a finalist for NJBIZ’s General Counsel of the Year Award. The General Counsel of the Year Award honors the state’s most dynamic General Counsels and Chief Legal Officers.

 

It is hard to imagine what NJCJI would do without Alida Kass. Kass’s legal expertise has allowed the Institute to engage on issues at a foundational level. By focusing on incentives and looking for the root cause of problems, NJCJI has become much more proactive in its efforts to improve the state’s legal system.

 

As NJCJI’s voice in the State House, Kass has become known as an outspoken advocate for fairness and equal justice for all, which she is determined should include the business community. She is widely quoted by the media when there are legal questions surrounding a particular piece of legislation, and her writing has been published by the New Jersey Law Journal and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.

 

The Institute has also expanded its work in the courts under Kass’s influence. In 2015, NJCJI filed its first amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in an important case impacting arbitration law.

 

The Institute’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program, which includes panel discussions and symposiums on a variety of legal issues critical to New Jersey’s business community and economic development climate, was developed by Kass shortly after she joined the Institute in 2012. In addition to serving as a valuable educational tool, the CLE program has raised the Institute’s profile in the legal community and drawn attention to our issues.

 

Kass will be recognized as a finalist during an awards breakfast and ceremony on June 9, which will be held at The Palace at Somerset Park. The award winners will be announced at the ceremony.