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Overview

GCLEA is an acronym for “Gloucester County Legal Education Association”. GCLEA (pronounced GLEE ah) is an educational organization that provides continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys, and continuing professional education (CPE) for accountants.

GCLEA is recognized by the New Jersey Supreme Court Board on Continuing Legal Education and by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court CLE Board as an approved provider/sponsor of CLE credits for attorneys. GCLEA seminars qualify for CLE credits for New York licensed attorneys under the New York Approved Jurisdiction Policy. GCLEA is also recognized by the Boards of Accountancy in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania as an approved provider/sponsor of CPE credits for accountants.

A vicinage is a judicial district comprised of a specific geographical area, which includes one or more counties. The structure of the New Jersey Court System divides New Jersey’s 21 counties into 15 vicinages. Gloucester County is a member of Vicinage XV, which consists of Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem Counties. GCLEA offers its courses at different venues throughout these three counties. Programs consist of a variety of seminars on current topics of interest to the legal and accounting communities. GCLEA is commonly viewed by many attorneys in South Jersey to be the “official” provider of CLE credits in Vicinage XV.

Mission

GCLEA’s mission is to provide attorneys with educational information on a variety of legal, accounting, and related topics enabling them to enhance their skills to better serve the public through improved legal services. Attorneys are advocates for the rights of the individual and of society in general. It is imperative that members of the bar maintain high standards and stay abreast of daily changes in the law. Recognizing these responsibilities, the Gloucester County Legal Education Association (GCLEA) was established to conduct a formal education program.

When attorneys continue their education and professional development, they can better address their unique responsibilities as officers of the court. It helps them improve the quality of justice administered through the legal process and advance the level of services they render. Changes in business, medicine, science and technology take place every day. The legal landscape that governs our daily interactions with one another is constantly evolving. It is essential that attorneys continue their education and professional development to enhance their knowledge of the law to keep pace with this rapid change.

The role of the attorney is central to our American concept of justice and the rule of law. Members of the legal profession, 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.

History

The organization was founded by James L. Capobianco, Esq., CPA (who serves as its president) in November of 2004. It was formally incorporated in New Jersey on October 24, 2006 (with the articles of incorporation having been amended on July 31, 2007). GCLEA is a recognized public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, all contributions and donations to GCLEA are tax deductible to donors for income tax purposes.

Inasmuch as GCLEA is a non-profit charity, the eight members of its Board of Directors serve voluntarily without remuneration.

Relationship to County Bar Association

Although a separate entity from the local bar, the Gloucester County Legal Education Association is looked upon as the educational component of the Gloucester County Bar Association. Together with the bar association, and the Gloucester County Bar Foundation (the bar association’s charitable arm), GCLEA is headquartered at the Gloucester County Justice Complex located at 70 Hunter Street, Woodbury, New Jersey 08096. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 338, Woodbury, NJ 08096. The phone number is (856) 848-4071. Lynn Silverstein, the Executive Director of the bar association, administers all three organizations and oversees their day-to-day operations.