FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Jaclyn Kramer
Development Director
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 755-4120
Email: jkramer@vljnj.org
Cathy Keenan
Executive Director
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 645-1951, ext.101
Email: ckeenan@vljnj.org
Newark, NJ – February 1, 2021 – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is excited to celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary! VLJ was founded in 2001 as a program of the Legal Services Foundation to provide direct legal representation to residents of Essex County, New Jersey. The program began with a core group of 30 volunteer attorneys and was led by Karen Sacks, who in her 15 years as VLJ’s executive director transformed the program into a statewide pro bono leader. In 2008, VLJ separately incorporated as its own 501(c)(3) New Jersey not-for-profit corporation. Today, VLJ is an award-winning organization of 20 staff that provide free legal services throughout the state with more than 1,500 attorneys and paralegals who volunteer their time for one or more of VLJ’s legal programs.
VLJ coordinates ten pro bono programs, including a program that assists renters facing eviction. While there were almost 160,000 eviction notices filed in New Jersey before the pandemic, experts estimate that number will double in 2021 as a result of lost jobs and wages from COVID-19. In its 20th year, VLJ also expects an uptick in clients who will need assistance with mounting debt, education issues, issues related to employability, and family law matters as a result of the pandemic. VLJ assists clients with all these issues and more.
Cathy Keenan, VLJ’s second Executive Director, says, “I am honored to be at the helm of this amazing organization of dedicated, passionate, and talented attorneys and advocates as we celebrate this special milestone. VLJ would be nothing without our staff, our dedicated Board, our generous donors, and the thousands of volunteers who have donated their time to changing lives through free legal aid since 2001. I invite you all to celebrate with VLJ as we look forward to the next 20 years of providing high-quality legal support to our neighbors in need.”
Please celebrate by joining VLJ at one of its upcoming events listed below. For more information on each, please click the link or contact Jaclyn Kramer, VLJ’s Development Director, at 973-755-4120.
· Summer Soiree – June 23rd at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in Caldwell, NJ
· Arts & Eats for Justice Annual Gala – October 20th at the Valley Regency in Clifton, NJ
About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
VLJ is an award-winning, comprehensive legal services program based in Newark, NJ, with a statewide reach. VLJ's mission is to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged and at-risk adults, children, and families in New Jersey by empowering them with the tools, advice, and pro bono representation to obtain fair and equal treatment within the legal system. The Newark-based organization ensures fair access to the legal system through partnerships with corporations and hundreds of volunteer attorneys. Each year, VLJ’s work impacts more than 3,000 people—including veterans, children, tenants, families, and victims of human trafficking—through 10 pro bono programs. To learn more, please visit www.vljnj.org.