New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program

What New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program does

The New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program (NJLAP) is a private, nonprofit, court-authorized program established in 1993 by the New Jersey Supreme Court under Rule 1:28B-3 to provide confidential, free assistance to New Jersey lawyers, judges, law students, and law graduates facing substance use, mental health, gambling, and other personal or professional well-being challenges. Its core products include confidential assessments and referrals, a suite of peer support groups (Women Attorney Peer Counselor, Men's Special LAP, Law Student Support, Small/Solo Firm Support, Rainbow Recovery Group, and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers meetings), a dedicated Judges Assistance Program, bar candidate evaluations conducted at the NJ Law Center, and a Wellness & Well-Being educational program delivered via presentations, webinars, podcasts, and the monthly Balance Newsletter. The underlying operational model is high-touch and human-mediated: a small 1-10 person staff of clinicians and program leaders, supported by peer volunteers and external referral networks, delivers services through a 24/7 hotline, in-person sessions in New Brunswick, NJ, and virtual support groups statewide.

NJLAP's funding mechanism is a minimal assessment on all NJ lawyer license renewal fees, creating a stable, recurring revenue stream that is structurally insulated from utilization volatility and avoids any reporting relationship with the NJ Office of Attorney Ethics, bar associations, or tribunals — a confidentiality architecture the program treats as a core differentiator. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: outreach at legal conferences, partnerships with law schools and bar associations (ABA CoLAP, Rutgers Law School, IMLA), a 100+ issue Balance newsletter, and an active social/YouTube/podcast presence. Recent strategic activity has focused on programmatically expanding scope (2024 NJ Supreme Court authorization for third-party referrals, the 2026 Rainbow Recovery Group launch, neurodiversity support additions) and on content/distribution validation (2025 dotComm Gold Awards for webdesign and content).

Name

New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program

Legal name

New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program

Website

https://njlap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NJLAP is a New Jersey Supreme Court-authorized nonprofit (est. 1993) that provides free, confidential counseling, peer support groups, bar candidate evaluations, and wellness programming to NJ lawyers, judges, law students, and law graduates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Assistance Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Individual and Family Services (6241), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (62142)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

Keywords

• Lawyer assistance program
• Mental health support
• Substance abuse treatment
• Legal peer support
• Professional wellness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Flemington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. License Fee Assessment: Funding is provided by a minimal assessment on all lawyer license renewal fees. This creates a sustainable funding stream without compromising confidentiality as NJLAP has no reporting relationships with the NJ OAE, bar associations, or any entity or tribunal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NJLAP provides free, confidential assistance services to New Jersey legal professionals (lawyers, judges, law students, law graduates, and bar candidates) dealing with substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and other issues affecting personal and professional well-being. Services include Bar Candidates Evaluations, peer support groups, counseling referrals, and educational programs delivered under the confidentiality protections of NJ Supreme Court Rule 1:28B-3. The program is funded through a minimal per-lawyer assessment collected with annual license renewal fees.

Product overview

NJLAP is a confidential, free program assisting NJ Lawyers, Judges, Law Students, and Law Graduates with substance use and mental health issues. The core offerings include Bar Candidates Evaluation Services for character and fitness assessments, multiple peer support groups (Women's Attorney Peer Counselor Group, Men's Special LAP Group, Law Student Support Group, Small/Solo Firm Support Group, Rainbow Recovery Group, and LCL Meetings), a Judges Assistance Program, and the Balance Newsletter. The program also delivers outreach presentations, videos, and podcasts on wellness topics. All services are confidential under NJ Supreme Court Rule 1:28B-3.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women Attorney Peer Counselor (WAPC): A specialized support group for female attorneys, judges, law students and law school graduates in recovery, created in 1994
• Association of Professionals Treating Problem Gambling (APTPG)

Products and services

• Bar Candidates Evaluation Services
• Women Attorney Peer Counselor (WAPC) Group
• Men's Special LAP Group
• Law Student Support Group
• Small/Solo Firm Support Group
• Rainbow Recovery Group (RRG)
• Judges Assistance Program
• LCL Meetings
• Wellness & Well-Being Program
• Outreach Presentations & LAP Talks

Quantifiable outcome

• 21% of licensed attorneys qualify as problem drinkers, 28% struggle with depression, 19% demonstrate anxiety symptoms (ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford study)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rutgers Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Rutgers Law Schools collaborated with NJLAP's Interim Director Nicole Perskie on a video titled 'The Power of Attorney' as part of law student outreach and well-being education.
• Association of Professionals Treating Problem Gambling (APTPG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 1996NJLAP helped establish APTPG, the only group supporting clinicians specializing in help for compulsive gamblers. APTPG serves as a cutting-edge treatment model for gambling and other addictions, and as the first line of treatment referrals for attorneys with gambling problems. APTPG was incorporated on March 18, 1997 with eighteen charter members including two NJLAP staff members.
• Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJLAP is associated with LCL meetings. LCL is a self-help group supporting recovery from alcoholism and drug dependence based on the Twelve Steps. LCL acts as a threshold or introductory group and is a supplement to AA or other fellowships. Meetings are held on various days throughout the week.
• Legal Talk NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJLAP content featured on Legal Talk Network podcasts including 'Accessing Mental Health Help For Law Students' and other well-being related episodes.
• American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJLAP aligns with ABA CoLAP initiatives including the 2017 Path to Lawyer Well-Being report and Lawyer Well-Being Toolkit. The program participates in national Lawyer Well-Being Week activities coordinated with the ABA.
• Alcoholics AnonymousminorOthersLCL meetings and helping resources are based upon the Twelve Steps and the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. LCL is not affiliated with AA but uses its foundational principles.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP): National coordinating body for all U.S. state LAPs that publishes toolkits, organizes Lawyer Well-Being Week, and provides best-practice frameworks that NJLAP aligns to. Functions as the over-arching umbrella rather than a competitor.
• Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP): The peer professional-health-program network for U.S. physicians operating under similar confidentiality and rehabilitation principles. Strong structural analogue, demonstrating NJLAP's model as part of a broader licensed-profession assistance infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania (LCL PA): Pennsylvania's LAP-equivalent offering peer-driven, confidential support to lawyers struggling with alcohol, drug, and mental health issues. Directly comparable mutual-aid model aligned with NJLAP's LCL meetings.
• Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc. (FLA): Florida's state Lawyers Assistance Program offering confidential support to FL lawyers, judges, and law students for substance use and mental health. Directly comparable as a state-authorized LAP providing free, confidential well-being services to the legal profession.
• California State Bar Lawyer Assistance Program (Cal-LAP): California's statewide LAP serving attorneys with substance use and mental health issues via confidential assessment and referral. Comparable model and target population, differing only in geography and scale.
• Texas Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP): Texas State Bar-affiliated LAP providing confidential substance use, mental health, and wellness services to Texas attorneys and law students. Functionally the same offering profile as NJLAP in a different state.
• Illinois Lawyers Assistance Program (Illinois LAP): Illinois's statewide LAP serving lawyers, judges, and law students with confidential counseling and referrals for addiction and mental health. Same statutory model and target persona as NJLAP.
• New York State Bar Association Lawyer Assistance Program: NY's analogous confidential program assisting attorneys, judges, and law students with substance use and mental health concerns. Closest behavioral and structural analogue to NJLAP among neighboring jurisdictions.

Emerging players

• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Major national addiction treatment and recovery provider whose research underpins NJLAP's prevalence statistics and serves as a downstream clinical referral resource. Comparable as a provider serving professionals with substance use disorders, at greater scale and inpatient depth.
• Affordable Mental Health Services for Lawyers (e.g., Lyra Health, Modern Health): Employer-sponsored mental health platforms that increasingly offer legal-industry EAP bundles, representing potential future competitors or partners to NJLAP's free confidential services. Comparable end-customer, different business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NJlap08901
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NJLAP
• Facebookfacebook.com/njlap
• Instagraminstagram.com/njlap08901
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-jersey-lawyers-assistance-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program