AGE:
59
FAMILY:
Wife Barbara & children
Scott (30) and Shana (27)
ALMA MATERS:
Rutgers & Rutgers Law
SYNAGOGUE:
Temple Beth Sholom
INTERESTS:
Eagles, Phillies, Bob Dylan fan,
photography, gardening,
golf & travel
FAVORITE FOODS:
BBQ, Sushi, Thai & Vietnamese

Allen Etish has a lot on his plate. In addition to being a partner at Archer & Greiner, P.C., in Haddonfield, he has just taken the reins of the New Jersey State Bar Association at a time when the legal profession is being battered by a shrinking economy. New lawyers are being deferred and lawyers of all ages are being laid off. "This is the worst I've seen in my years of practice."

"The theme of my administration is that we need to look inside and reinvent and retrain our disenfranchised lawyers," said Etish, who was sworn in for a one-year term on May 14 by NJ Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner in Atlantic City. He is the first Southern New Jersey resident to lead the state bar in many years and the first from Camden County in several decades.

"I firmly believe that the profession of law is a noble profession," said Etish. He said that lawyers helped create America and maintain the rule of law. "It is lawyers who help government function."

Being a lawyer is about doing good for the community, according to Etish. He said that he is involved in a lot of pro bono work. "A central tenet of mine is giving back in terms of both money and time."

Etish said that the 16,000-member bar association is growing because attorneys are seeking help in this difficult economy. Some want help with resume writing or in opening up their own firms. "We also have a large program for lawyers who are having emotional or substance abuse problems."

In addition to helping lawyers, Etish is also deeply involved in the bar association's role vetting judicial and prosecutorial nominees. "It's a fascinating process to find out what's in people's minds and how they think," he said. Etish said that in vetting potential judges and prosecutors, he looks at temperament, how the person handles pressure, and is the person financially responsible. "We try to get an idea of who that person is."

Etish said that being president of the NJ Bar Association is the closest he has ever come to a political position. A Democrat, he likes to be an informed voter, but has no desire to hold political office.

Being a lawyer as well as a concerned citizen, Etish pays attention to issues of national legal concern. He is following the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also been fascinated by California's Proposition 8 on gay marriage. He said the gay marriage issue will certainly end up at the Supreme Court. .