Gloucester County Legal Education Association

A global economy, a more diverse population, providing help to those in need including court-appointed counsel to people who cannot afford legal representation, advances in the way we conduct business, medical breakthroughs taking place every day, new discoveries in the other sciences, and innovations in technology occurring at an astronomical rate all help to improve the way we live. Along with these come increasing social responsibility and a more complex culture. The legal landscape that governs our daily interactions with one another is constantly evolving to keep pace with this rapid change. It is of primary importance to society that attorneys continue their education and professional development to enhance their knowledge of the law. Doing so better enables members of the bar to address the unique responsibilities they have as officers of the court. It also helps them improve the quality of justice administered through the legal process and advance the level of services rendered to the public by the legal profession. Our system is founded upon the principle of a fair and impartial interpretation and application of the laws that govern us. The role of the attorney is central to our American concepts of justice and the rule of law. Inherent in a framework created to protect the rights of the citizenry is the maxim that attorneys, individually and collectively, must respect and honor the law as a public trust. They must strive to maintain confidence in our system of jurisprudence. This can only be accomplished when lawyers are well versed in the various court decisions, statutes, and regulations that comprise our legal structure. Attorneys are advocates for the rights of the individual and of society in general. Members of the legal profession constitute a highly visible symbol of a free and democratic society based upon the precept that everyone without regard to identity, status, power or weakness receives equal treatment under the law. To fulfill the ever-increasing demands being placed upon them, it is imperative that attorneys maintain the highest of standards and stay abreast of daily changes in the law. Recognizing these responsibilities, the Gloucester County Legal Education Association (GCLEA) was founded to conduct a formal education program.