Rules of Court · Part 1 · New Jersey
R. 1:21-12 New Jersey Rules of Court, R. 1:21-12: Madden-Exemption Based on Voluntary Qualifying Pro Bono Service, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked
Madden-Exemption Based on Voluntary Qualifying Pro Bono Service
(a) Exemption Based on Qualifying Pro Bono Service in Conjunction with a Certified Entity. Attorneys who certify that they have performed at least twenty-five (25) hours of voluntary (as distinct from court-appointed) qualifying pro bono service in New Jersey in the year ending on December 31 before the certification date shall be exempt from court-appointed pro bono service under Madden v. Delran, 126 N.J. 591 (1992), for the following year, provided that the certification states that the voluntary qualifying pro bono service was performed in conjunction with an entity certified under R. 1:21-11(b)(1) or (3) and identifies the entity with which the attorney collaborated.
(b) No Madden-Exemption If Attorney Retains Fees. If an attorney or firm in commercial practice retains fees (as distinct from costs) in a qualifying pro bono case, whether awarded by a court or negotiated in settlement of a matter in which a fee-shifting statute applies, no attorney may claim an exemption from court-appointed pro bono service based on the hours expended on that case.
Note: Adopted July 22, 2014 to be effective January 1, 2015.
Verbatim rule text, unmarked. Nothing here is a summary.
rule 1:21-12 "Madden-Exemption Based on Voluntary Qualifying Pro Bono Service" {
(a) Exemption Based on Qualifying Pro Bono Service in Conjunction with a Certified Entity. Attorneys who certify that they have performed at least twenty-five (25) hours of voluntary (as distinct from court-appointed) qualifying pro bono service in New Jersey in the year ending on December 31 before the certification date shall be exempt from court-appointed pro bono service under Madden v. Delran, 126 N.J. 591 (1992), for the following year, provided that the certification states that the voluntary qualifying pro bono service was performed in conjunction with an entity certified under R. 1:21-11(b)(1) or (3) and identifies the entity with which the attorney collaborated.
(b) No Madden-Exemption If Attorney Retains Fees. If an attorney or firm in commercial practice retains fees (as distinct from costs) in a qualifying pro bono case, whether awarded by a court or negotiated in settlement of a matter in which a fee-shifting statute applies, no attorney may claim an exemption from court-appointed pro bono service based on the hours expended on that case.
Note: Adopted July 22, 2014 to be effective January 1, 2015.
}
referenced_by: 1:21-11
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2026-03-20; corpus harvested 2026-09-02← R. 1:21-11 · R. 1:21-1D → · chapter 1:21 · all rules
The Rules of Court are a government edict and carry no copyright; the text above is the Judiciary’s own publication, unchanged. Structure, links and highlighting are ours and carry no legal weight. Read the rule on njcourts.gov before you rely on it; amendments take effect each September 1.