Inns of Court. To a lay person, that term conjures up retreats or perhaps some government owned Marriott or Hilton properties.  To those in the legal profession, however, the Inns of Court are a social group of sorts; a combination of learning and laughing.  So, where did they come from and why should someone join?

 The Inns of Court are a group of four institutions historically responsible for the legal education of attorneys in London.  Their governing bodies are known as benches and have the exclusive right to admit attorneys to practice before the bar.  The 4 Inns are known as the Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and Gray’s Inn. Every Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court is an honorary member of the Middle Temple. 

 The members of the Inn are known as: Masters of the Bench: judges, experienced attorneys and law professors; Barristers: lawyers with some experience, usually upwards of 5 years; Associates: newly admitted attorneys; and Pupils: law students.  The categories are deliberate.  The purpose of the Inn is not only to engage in merriment (though that is the best part), but to learn from one another, to share experiences (though not too many war stories) and to help the next generation of lawyers be better than the last. 

 The first Inn of Court was established in the U.S. in 1980 by Chief Justice Burger at the J. Reuben Clark School of Law at Brigham Young University.  Today, there are over 350 Inns of Court, focusing on different fields of practice ranging from federal litigation to family law.  One of those is right here in our backyard: the Aldona E. Appleton Inn of Court.  The Inn's namesake, Judge Aldona E. Appleton, was appointed to the New Jersey Bench, in Middlesex County, in July of 1958 and was sworn in on September 3, 1958 and retired in 1970 upon reaching mandatory retirement.  She was a member of the newly created Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and only the second female judge appointed to the bench in New Jersey history.  Members of the Middlesex County Bar recall her compassionate and caring approach to resolving family disputes during her tenure as Judge.

The Inn has been 50+ members strong since its inception in 2017. Despite the pandemic, it has continued to meet regularly and put on educational and engaging presentations. It is an opportunity to get together with colleagues once a month during an otherwise isolating time for many.  Many of the issues most of us have been dealing with: Zoom, JEDS, court scheduling, difficult clients, etc., are discussed and oftentimes the judges offer invaluable insider advice.  No specific cases are ever discussed. 

Hopefully if you’ve read this far, you have not only learned a little bit of history about the Inns, but you’re wondering how you can join one.  If you’re interested in family law, there is only one you should be checking into: the Aldona E. Appleton Inn.   
To join or for information, contact:
Lauren A. Miceli, Esq.
Shane and White, LLC
p: (732) 819-9100
e: Send Mail