Joe Aronds is an Assistant Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc. in New Jersey, President of the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association, and writer and illustrator of a monthly law-related cartoon, Overruled!
When an in-house employment opportunity presented itself to me, the first thing I resolved to do was join the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and its New Jersey affiliate chapter, the New Jersey Corporate Counsel Association (NJCCA). I had heard of ACC and NJCCA through a continuing legal education (CLE) presentation that I had made to NJCCA, and I knew that this was a group that would enable me, more than any other professional organization, to network with a wide variety of in-house counsel. Joining ACC and NJCCA has turned out to be one of the wisest decisions that I’ve made during my career.
I have now been a member of ACC and NJCCA for approximately 14 years and I am entering into my second year as president of NJCCA, having previously served on the NJCCA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. As a result of my involvement with ACC and NJCCA, I’ve gotten to know hundreds of in-house counsel and outside attorneys representing the corporate community. ACC and NJCCA’s networking functions are second to none, and I never would have met as many fellow professionals had I not become a member. In addition, I have managed to obtain the lion’s share of my New York (and now New Jersey) CLE credits through programs put on by ACC and NJCCA. The CLE is top notch and developed with the interests of in-house counsel in mind. It is also cost-effective and convenient.
More recently, with advances in Internet technology, the ACC has developed a deep and rich library of resources of use to in-house practitioners, including numerous sample forms and a unique contract-drafting tool. At NJCCA, we strive to provide the most comprehensive CLE and networking opportunities directly targeted to meet the interests and needs of the New Jersey in-house community. For more details, check out this piece I recently authored, entitled “30 Ways That ACC Promotes Your Interests.”
ACC and its affiliate chapters have become essential and indispensable tools for the in-house community. It is no surprise that membership in ACC (and NJCCA) has reached an all-time high and continues to grow. As long as I am employed in-house, I intend to remain actively involved with ACC and NJCCA, and will encourage others to do so, as well. After 30 years, ACC remains the premier legal services organization for in-house counsel and will undoubtedly continue to hold that honor for years to come.