Certificates and Forms

Resignation Without Prejudice

An attorney cannot resign (Review Court Rule R.1:20-22):

• If any disciplinary or criminal proceedings are pending in any jurisdiction; OR
• If you are NOT in good standing.

If an attorney meets the requirements set forth within Resignation Without Prejudice

Please print and mail the completed original to:
Office of Attorney Ethics
Attn: Resignation Without Prejudice

Please allow up to six weeks for processing.

Please note: All attorneys must be in good standing status at the time your resignation paperwork is processed. 

Final notification of approval will be received from the Supreme Court Clerk's Office

Resignation will terminate your membership to the NJ Bar.

To be readmitted, you will have to retake the NJ Bar Examination unless you meet the requirements of Court Rule R.1:24-4 to be readmitted by motion.

Request Certificate of Ethical Conduct

For a Certificate of Ethical Conduct, send your request in writing to:

Office of Attorney Ethics
Attn: Certificate of Ethical Conduct

Please include your name, date of birth, NJ Bar ID number, date of admission to the NJ State Bar, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Please allow two to three weeks for processing.

Order Certificate of Good Standing

To order a Certificate of Good Standing, please complete the Certificate of Good Standing form and submit with $20 processing fee.

For US Postal Service mail to:

Board of Bar Examiners 
PO Box 973
Trenton, NJ 08625-0973

For overnight deliveries (FedEx, DHL, UPS) mail to: 

Board of Bar Examiners 
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex 
8th Fl, North Wing 
25 Market Street 
Trenton, NJ 08611

Any questions relating to a Certificate of Good Standing form can be answered by the Board of Bar Examiners at 609-815-2911.

Retirement

You may request the retired exemption online.  You are entitled to the retired exemption only if, since January 31 of the current year,

• Your employment is not related to the practice of law;
• You do not draft or review legal documents;
• You do not render legal assistance or advice on the law;
• You do not serve in the judiciary in any capacity, in any jurisdiction; and
• You do not teach law.

You may not claim this exemption by virtue of being out-of-state or exempt from pro bono assignment.  Once you have certified to the retirement exemption, you will remain in retired status until you inform the Judiciary otherwise.  If you are currently in retired status, please respond to the other parts of the annual registration.  For lawyers granted the retirement exemption, the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office will only issue letters indicating your status and not certificates of good standing.

An attorney in retired status is not permitted to practice New Jersey law; provided however, that a retired attorney who certifies to the Supreme Court that the only aspect of the attorney’s participation in legal practice is by providing qualifying pro bono service as defined by R. 1:21-11 (a) for Legal Services of New Jersey and the associated legal regional programs; for a certified organization under R. 1:21-11 (b), or for an organization otherwise approved by the Supreme Court, may do so pursuant to those rules.

Certification of Retirement