A unique New Jersey obligation in legal malpractice is akin to a NY medical malpractice certification of merit.  In NJ, plaintiff must file a certificate that the case has merit.  Surely it is simply a formality?  As this case demonstrates, it is not.,

"We have reviewed plaintiff’s contentions in light of the record and applicable law. We find her arguments to be without sufficient merit to warrant discussion in a written opinion. R. 2:11-3(e)(1)(A). We agree with Judge Alcazar that plaintiff was required to provide an Affidavit of Merit in this case and failed to do so. We note that, to this day, plaintiff has never provided a certification from an expert stating what specific information would be needed to assess the merits of her claim. In that regard, plaintiff’s only specific request for such information came in the form of a letter to defendants in response to their summary judgment motion. In addition, we agree that plaintiff’s complaint clearly lacks substantive merit. See Puder v. Buechel, 183 N.J. 428 (2005). "