Left Photo: From left, Tricia O’Reilly (Chair, VLJ Board of Trustees), Lori Landew (General Counsel and Head of Content Legal, Audible), Suemyra A. Shah (Senior Corporate Counsel, Audible), Karen Robinson (Managing Attorney, VLJ), and Cathy Keenan (Executive Director, VLJ). Lori and Suemyra accepted the Community Vision Award for Audible.
Center Photo: Joe T. Boccassini (center) accepting the Partner in Justice award with his family.
Right Photo: Richmond Rabinowitz (center) accepting the Champion of Justice Award with her family.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2022
CONTACT
Eric W. Hughes
Bershad Communications Manager
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 233-5724
Email: ehughes@vljnj.org
Newark, NJ – Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Mountain Ridge Country Club on an ideal New Jersey fall evening, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) returned in person, after an extended pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to its annual Arts & Eats for Justice gala for a night of community, celebration, and justice. The Arts & Eats for Justice gala is not only VLJ’s largest fundraising event, it is also its largest celebration of those whose time and talent raise the bar on ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty. For this year’s gala, VLJ was particularly proud to honor Audible (Community Vision Award), Joseph T. Boccassini, Esq. (Partner in Justice Award), and Richmond Rabinowitz (Champion of Justice Award).
Audible, Inc., headquartered in Newark, is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering customers a rich destination for insight and inspiration to enhance their daily lives. Audible moved its headquarters to Newark in 2007 to accelerate the renaissance of a great American city and create opportunities for city residents.
Audible has collaborated with VLJ for years, making a significant impact on racial, social, and economic justice in New Jersey. By working with VLJ to increase free legal services to people experiencing poverty, Audible has empowered VLJ’s clients to transform their lives and build a stronger Newark community. Audible’s legal department has volunteered with VLJ on a number of pro bono programs, always prioritizing areas of high unmet legal need. Most recently, Audible attorneys and legal staff volunteer regularly for VLJ’s criminal record expungement clinic, helping clients clear criminal records standing in the way of better housing and employment opportunities. Audible’s Global Change Management Team also recently volunteered to use their systems expertise and recommended several changes to improve VLJ’s client experience from intake through case completion. Over 90% of Audible’s legal team has volunteered their time providing pro bono counsel and services to organizations like VLJ. Audible is an innovator truly committed to advancing justice in Newark, and there is no company more deserving of the Community Vision Award.
“We are truly inspired by VLJ’s mission to defend Newark’s most vulnerable populations, which aligns perfectly with Audible’s mission to make a positive difference in the cities we call home, and we feel grateful to work shoulder to shoulder to create meaningful sustainable impact together.”, said Suemyra Shah, Senior Corporate Counsel at Audible.
Joseph T. Boccassini, Esq. (“Joe”), a resident of Rutherford, is firm-wide Managing Partner of McCarter & English LLP. In this role Joe spearheads the firm’s strategic growth, focusing on delivering exceptional client service and leading initiatives to promote the professional development of law students, lawyers, and professionals who reflect McCarter & English’s vibrant, diverse clients and communities. Joe’s steady hand guided the firm through the COVID-19 pandemic to see it not just survive, but thrive. Since Joe began his role as managing partner in 2016, the firm’s pro bono hours have increased by 4,000 hours. Last year, the firm’s attorneys averaged 53 hours each of pro bono service, and two-thirds of the firm’s 391 attorneys volunteer their time and talent. Joe leads by example, having attended the firm’s first pro bono service trip working in a rural immigration detention facility; the firm has since sent five cohorts of lawyers on week-long service trips to facilities in Georgia, Texas, and New Jersey. Prior to the pandemic, McCarter & English hosted a monthly naturalization clinic in their Newark office serving hundreds of people per year, and Joe volunteered almost every month. Joe also took on full representation immigration matters. Joe’s leadership, vision, and commitment to not just VLJ, but the power of pro bono and ensuring access to justice resoundingly merited the Partner in Justice Award.
Richmond Rabinowitz, a resident of Montclair, is President and Founder of Rabinowitz Partners LLC and has over 35 years of experience working for nonprofit organizations. She is a skilled consultant, trainer, and executive-level coach. Since opening her own business, she has served as Interim CEO for some of New Jersey’s most esteemed nonprofits including the Newark Trust for Education, the Boys & Girls Club of Newark, and Lead New Jersey. During VLJ’s recent strategic planning, Richmond was hired as a consultant to ask the big questions, require VLJ to undertake serious introspection, and challenge the organization. Richmond guided VLJ through questions about its identity and service that ultimately strengthened VLJ and set the organization on a path for success for not just three years, but twenty. Because of her work in strengthening organizations that lead to lasting community change, the Champion of Justice Award is just one small way VLJ recognizes Richmond for nurturing and leading organizations committed to justice and community empowerment.
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About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ)
VLJ is an award-winning, comprehensive nonprofit legal services program based in Newark, NJ, with a statewide reach. VLJ's mission is to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty. The Newark-based organization ensures fair access to the legal system through partnerships with corporations and hundreds of volunteer attorneys and legal staff. In 2021, VLJ’s work impacted nearly 3,500 people—including veterans, children, tenants, families, and survivors of human trafficking—and VLJ’s volunteer attorneys provided $3.3 million in free legal services.