Judicial Misconduct & Regulating Judicial Ethics

Kim D. Ringler, Esq. | The Ringler Law Firm

Ms. Ringler has practiced ethics law for more than thirty years, handling matters throughout New Jersey from initial admissions through disciplinary proceedings, providing expert opinions on attorney ethics issues, and advising on government ethics. She graduated from Georgetown University Law School where she was a Law Fellow. Her law firm concentrates on representing lawyers and other State licensed professionals on regulatory issues, ethics and disciplinary proceedings as well as character and fitness matters. She became a member of the NYSBA Professional Ethics Committee. She prosecuted attorney disciplinary matters for the First Department Grievance Committee as Special Trial Counsel. After years in private practice, in 2008, she joined the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Law where she prosecuted State licensed medical and other professionals for violations of standards of practice and brought in over one million dollars in fines and recovered costs in six years.

She led the prosecution of a compounding pharmacy for contamination; established a nationally watched precedent for misleading advertising by dentists; and negotiated the imposition of public sanctions upon three prominent orthopedic surgeons who violated financial disclosure requirements during clinical trials. She served as the Ethics Officer for the New Jersey Division of Law in Newark providing guidance on conflicts of interest and other executive branch ethics issues. The Attorney General presented an Exceptional Service Award to her in 2014 and appointed her Deputy Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs overseeing the operations of nearly 50 licensing boards. Ms. Ringler has argued successfully numerous attorney ethics matters before the New Jersey Supreme Court representing individuals as well as the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, the Committee on Advertising, and the Committee on Extra Judicial Activities.

The New Jersey Law Journal included three cases she argued before the Supreme Court among its 2013 annual top twelve noteworthy cases. Martindale Hubbell has consistently rated her AV Preeminent. She is a frequent lecturer on professional responsibility, litigation techniques and health care issues. She was elected President of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. Other past memberships include the New Jersey State Bar Association Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Unlawful Practice, the New York City Bar Committee on Professional Responsibility and Committee on Professional Discipline. She chaired the District IIB Fee Arbitration Committee, chaired the NJSBA Health Law Section and currently cochairs the Bergen County Bar Association Committee on Professionalism. The New Jersey Supreme Court recently appointed her to its Committee on Permanent Disbarment.

Ms. Ringler has presented on ethics for many organizations including the NY State Bar Association, NJ Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, National Association of Attorneys General, NJ Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Seton Hall Law School Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy, Bergen County Bar Association, the Columbia Bar Association,

Women Lawyers in Bergen, American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility, Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, Young Lawyers of Bergen County, North Bergen County Municipalities, National Association of Lawyer Disciplinary Boards, National Conference on Professional Responsibility, National Forum on Client Security Funds, National Organization of Bar Counsel, Statewide Cablevision program “Legal Ethics,” NJ Hospital Association, Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference, PA Bar Institute. She has published numerous articles about legal ethics. She also presents programs with Green Button Counseling on attorney ethics and well-being for various organizations.

Ellen L. Koblitz | Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C

The Honorable Ellen L. Koblitz (Ret.) is special counsel in the Alternative Dispute Resolution practice, Appellate Advocacy practice, Criminal Defense practice, and Family Law practice at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. She focuses her practice on mediation and arbitration of Family, Chancery, and Civil matters. In addition, she advises attorneys and clients on criminal, civil, chancery, and family appellate matters, including reviewing appellate briefs and conducting moot court appellate arguments. Judge Koblitz is on the consumer panel of arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and is a qualified NJ Ct. R. 1:40-12 mediator.

Judge Koblitz joined the firm in 2020 after serving as a judge in the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court for 10 years, including two years as Presiding Judge. In the Appellate Division, Judge Koblitz heard appeals from decisions of the trial courts, tax court, and state administrative agencies.

Judge Koblitz began her legal career in the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender and rose to the position of deputy public defender in charge of the Hudson and then the Bergen County regional office.

First appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court in 1993, Judge Koblitz served in the Special Civil Part and Criminal Part in Bergen County. She then served as Presiding Judge of the Family Part from 1998 to 2008, when she was tapped to serve as Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division in Bergen County.

I. Briefing of Judicial Codes of Conduct | 1:00pm – 1:15pm

II. The U.S. Supreme Court and Ethics | 1:15pm – 1:30pm

III. Binding vs. Non-Binding Judicial Standards | 1:30pm – 1:45pm

IV. Conflicts of Interest in the Judiciary | 1:45pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

V. Boundary Violations and Judicial Misconduct | 2:10pm – 2:25pm

VI. Federal Court Ethics Regulations | 2:25pm – 2:40pm

VII. Comparing Ethical Enforcement Mechanisms | 2:40pm – 2:55pm

VIII. Practical Implications for Attorneys | 2:55pm – 3:10pm