FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2022
CONTACT
Eric W. Hughes
Bershad Communications Manager
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 233-5724
Email: ehughes@vljnj.org
American College of Bankruptcy Foundation Awards $10,000 Grant to Volunteer Lawyers for Justice to Help New Jerseyans Struggling with Consumer Debt
Newark, NJ – With the lingering effects of COVID-19, inflation, and limited wage growth wreaking havoc on the family pocketbook, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) has seen an increase in the number of individuals requiring assistance with consumer debt matters including bankruptcy. To aid VLJ in its efforts to assist more clients with consumer debt and bankruptcy issues, the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation (ACBF) recently awarded a $10,000 grant to VLJ’s Debt Relief Legal Program (DRLP).
The American College of Bankruptcy is an honorary public service association dedicated to the enhancement of professionalism, scholarship, and service in bankruptcy and insolvency law and practice. Including the grant to VLJ, in 2022, the ACBF gave 45 pro bono grants, totaling $436,587, to legal services organizations located in 20 states, plus the District of Columbia. Rozanne M. Giunta, Partner at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, who serves on the ACBF’s Pro Bono Committee, said, “The Foundation Board and the Pro Bono Committee of the American College of Bankruptcy are delighted to provide this grant to Volunteer Lawyers for Justice to assist them in continuing their great work as they provide financial advice and assistance to marginalized members of the community, who are confronting often overwhelming financial hardship.”
VLJ's DRLP provides free civil legal help to individuals experiencing poverty who are struggling with consumer debt matters. The DRLP’s goals include training and mentoring volunteer attorneys to represent New Jerseyans overwhelmed with debt, supporting the courts with challenges involving pro se litigants, and deploying systemic advocacy to address the issues and barriers experienced by community members working toward financial stability.
Of the ACBF grant, Cathy Keenan, executive director of VLJ said, “The support and partnership of the American College of Bankruptcy is invaluable and makes a profound impact on the clients whom we serve as well as the volunteer attorneys donating their time and talent. With the already high cost of living in New Jersey exacerbated by inflation, many of our neighbors are struggling with debt and, more than one realizes, unscrupulous debt collection practices by their creditors. Quality, free civil legal services are more essential than ever, and we are incredibly grateful to the American College of Bankruptcy and the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation for their continued support of VLJ’s Debt Relief Legal Program and continued confidence in VLJ to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty.”
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About the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation (ACBF)
The American College of Bankruptcy Foundation was established to promote the ends of justice through educational and charitable activities. Its missions, focused in the areas of bankruptcy and insolvency, are: sponsorship and encouragement of legal research, publications and forums; The American College of Bankruptcy Foundation’s mission is to support and fund activities and programs in the areas of bankruptcy and insolvency consistent with the goals of the American College of Bankruptcy, including fostering the institution and maintenance of legal aid services for the indigent; the establishment of scholarships and grant awards; the sponsorship and encouragement of legal research, publications and forums; and the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and across the insolvency profession; the establishment of scholarships; providing for the collection and maintenance of data and documents for scholarly research; and fostering the institution and maintenance of legal aid facilities for the indigent. The Foundation provides support to pro bono legal service programs providing assistance to an increasingly diverse and evolving number of communities across the entire United States. To learn more, please visit www.americancollegeofbankruptcy.com/foundation.
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. In 2021, VLJ’s work impacted nearly 3,500 people—including veterans, children, tenants, families, and survivors of human trafficking—and our volunteer attorneys provided $3.3 million in free legal services. To learn more, please visit www.vljnj.org.