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Law360 (March 11, 2020, 9:06 PM EDT ) Amid mounting fears over the global spread of COVID-19 and New Jersey's first death from the infectious disease, the state Supreme Court has relaxed the requirements for in-person attendance at continuing legal education courses.
Chief New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Stuart J. Rabner signed an order Tuesday allowing for online completion of the 12 CLE credit hours that attorneys normally have to take in a classroom as part of the 24 required credit hours every two years. Justice Rabner cited the "social distancing" recommendation from the New Jersey Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"Until further notice, all twenty-four credit hours for the compliance period may be fulfilled through approved courses offered in alternative verifiable learning formats," the order said.
The Georgia Supreme Court also waived in-person CLE class attendance due to coronavirus concerns on Tuesday, but only for attorneys using a grace period to obtain their 2019 credits. Through March 31, attorneys may complete all of their CLE courses from last year through "self-study, in-house or online seminars," according to the Georgia high court's order. Georgia has reported 23 possible coronavirus cases, according to the latest CDC figures.
The New Jersey State Bar Association is taking extra measures to ensure the safety of staffers and visitors at the New Jersey Law Center, the New Brunswick venue where the association hosts CLE classes and other events, according to a message on its website. The association said it hasn't canceled any events but will alert registrants via email or phone if anything changes.
"We have hand sanitizer stations throughout the building and have increased the cleaning regimens for all bathrooms, public spaces and employee work areas," the message said.
On Wednesday, state health officials announced that a Bergen County man in his 60s became the state's first coronavirus casualty, and that eight more people have tested "presumptively positive" for the condition since the previous day, for a total of 23 cases across the state. The state is currently awaiting test results for 37 more people who may have coronavirus, they said.
State Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during a livestreamed news conference that two of the cases are the result of "community spread," which means person-to-person transmission without contact with a confirmed case or exposure in an affected area.
"Community spread indicates that coronavirus is amongst us," she said.
"And to be clear, if you are feeling ill, stay home and call your regular health care practitioner," Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver said.
The state will be receiving $14 million in federal aid to help contain the spread of coronavirus, according to Oliver.
Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization labeled the virus a pandemic — a disease that spreads across countries and continents — as evidenced by more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries. The death toll had reached 4,291 as of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom's afternoon announcement.
--Editing by Adam LoBelia.
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