Michelle Smith, Esq.
“It feels good to provide the desired result to a client; being able to tell a client that the long pending landlord tenant case will be dismissed and remove their anxiety is genuinely rewarding. Being able to exercise skills as a new attorney is an added bonus.”
For some of our pro bono attorneys, VLJ is their first experience with volunteering. For others, they’ve been volunteering long before joining the ranks of ESQ. This month, we honor one such pro bono attorney who started her volunteer work long before she knew the joys of blue booking, CLEs, and “It depends.” For VLJ’s December 2022 Volunteer of the Month, we honor and recognize Michelle Smith, Esq., Pro Bono Fellow for the City of Newark at McCarter & English LLP.
After studying sociology at Bryn Mawr College, Michelle was still deciding on a career path. Reflecting on the community volunteer work she had done during undergrad, Michelle discovered VLJ and began volunteering, providing administrative support for the ReLeSe Program. Unbeknownst to her at the time, that decision changed the shape of her career. Michelle soon joined the VLJ ranks as a staff member, working with the organization while pursuing her law degree in the evening program at Rutgers Law School in Newark.
It’s fitting that Michelle would land at McCarter & English, a firm with a storied history in Newark and longstanding commitment to pro bono work. After over 150 years in the City of Newark, the firm created the pro bono fellowship position in 2018. Michelle began in the role in 2021, joining the firm’s robust pro bono practice where she works to facilitate the pro bono efforts of attorneys throughout the firm.
As part of her practice, Michelle represents tenants facing eviction and individuals seeking criminal record expungement, two programs Michelle also worked on while at VLJ. Michelle’s time at VLJ served her well and prepared her for not just the practice of law, but the compassionate, empowering, client-focused practice of law. Indeed, while at VLJ, Michelle was often the first person with whom new clients would speak. Now, as a lawyer, the ability to connect with clients and help them navigate the legal system is a rewarding part of Michelle’s role at McCarter & English. That includes helping a VLJ client facing eviction negotiate a deal to leave an illegal apartment with a payment from the landlord; the case required multiple rounds of negotiation before ultimately settling.
On that reward, Michelle said, “It feels good to provide the desired result to a client; being able to tell a client that the long pending landlord tenant case will be dismissed and remove their anxiety is genuinely rewarding. Being able to exercise skills as a new attorney is an added bonus.”
In addition to her work with VLJ, Michelle also takes on cases pro bono in immigration and name change matters. Across all the cases she takes, Michelle sees many similarities: “Most tenants are not represented by lawyers, expungements are designed to be done pro se, and name changes are sometimes considered easily available, but all of these case types can be daunting to those without a legal education. Or, someone’s circumstances might have complexities that would make it hard, if not impossible, for them to be successful in their legal case without the help of an attorney.”
One of the many ways Michelle can effectively connect with clients is through language. Michelle is a fluent French speaker and has a knack for languages that has allowed her to pick up some Spanish as well. She has conducted client meetings in French and has volunteered as a French interpreter for other attorneys.
VLJ is proud to have been a part of Michelle’s journey to becoming the lawyer she is today, and we are incredibly grateful for the work she does to help our clients and neighbors in Newark access justice. Merci beaucoup, Michelle!