Mark and Yvonne Daniels
This week VLJ lost a true champion of pro bono work. Mark Daniel, former VLJ Trustee, donor, and volunteer, died on September 29, 2020. He leaves behind not only a loving family, but also a true legacy in the New Jersey and national pro bono community for his tireless dedication to serving the unmet legal needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. VLJ had a long-standing partnership with Mark, a visionary leader who understood the transformative power of pro bono work.
In 2001, after the deadly World Trade Center attacks, Mark, leading a team of volunteers from Merck, was among the first lawyers to volunteer at legal clinics created to assist victims of the disaster. That volunteerism began a nearly 20-year partnership between Merck and VLJ that has afforded thousands of low-income people in New Jersey access to legal services. Mark assumed a key leadership role in encouraging in-house counsel to undertake pro bono work. After 9/11, Mark, as head of Merck’s pro bono program, coordinated efforts to involve the company’s attorneys in areas of great need but in which they had no prior experience. Early on, Mark understood the importance of stepping outside of one’s comfort zone to provide help. In 2002, under Mark’s leadership, VLJ trained Merck patent attorneys to handle special education and guardianship matters, matters often complicated and difficult to refer, and VLJ began referring those cases en masse to Merck attorneys.
Similarly, during the economic recession of 2008, Mark approached VLJ about training Merck attorneys to handle bankruptcy cases, noting the steep increase in numbers of those unable to stay afloat during such difficult economic times. Merck attorneys were trained that year and, with funding from Merck, VLJ and Merck launched a bankruptcy program that is still serving clients today. One of the program’s former clients reflected on the fresh start he was able to get thanks to the assistance from his bankruptcy attorney: “I have bought a used car, learned to live within my means, and now I am getting married. This is all thanks to the help I was provided.” That is just one example of a life that was changed thanks to Mark’s efforts.
In 2008, Mark was asked to join VLJ’s Board of Trustees and for eight years he unequivocally played a major role in VLJ’s enormous growth. He encouraged Merck to fund VLJ programming assisting victims of Superstorm Sandy, Newark residents seeking help on a variety of issues, and families struggling to make ends meet. Mark regularly met with his in-house counsel counterparts at other corporations encouraging them to launch pro bono projects and impressing upon them the importance of funding the projects in which they participate. When Mark joined the board, VLJ partnered with only one other corporation to provide pro bono legal assistance; when Mark retired from the board, VLJ worked with nine corporations. Mark remained active with VLJ after his retirement, encouraging others to become engaged with VLJ through volunteerism and/or financial support.
As a longtime member of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Pro Bono Committee, member of the NJSBA Pro Bono Task Force, and Chair of the NJSBA Annual Pro Bono Conference Committee Mark worked tirelessly in support of increasing pro bono efforts in NJ. In addition to all of his work with VLJ, Mark led other pro bono initiatives across NJ, the country, and the world. Mark was awarded
the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, a distinction that has been bestowed upon only 2 lawyers in the state.
While the entire VLJ family will mourn the loss of a truly remarkable man, Mark’s legacy will live on in the pro bono work that continues to help vulnerable families because of his efforts. Mark’s full obituary can be found at: https://poulsonvanhise.com/tribute/details/1562/Mark-Daniel/obituary.html#tribute-start