Nuo Jiang, Esq.
“Pro bono provides a type of practice outside one’s comfort zone. Being outside your comfort zone for an extended period of time ultimately expands your comfort zone.”
VLJ’s September 2022 Volunteer of the Month is fairly new to VLJ but is no stranger to pro bono and volunteering his time and talent to help others. VLJ is ecstatic to recognize and celebrate Nuo Jiang, Esq. as this month’s Volunteer of the Month. Nuo is a litigation associate at Capehart Scatchard where he focuses his practice, in federal and New Jersey courts, on creditors’ rights, business collection, tort defense, premises liability and products liability defense, Tort Claims Act defense, construction, estates, employment and professional malpractice.
Nuo received a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Davis, and he received his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School-Camden. During law school, Nuo was active in Phi Alpha Delta (Frelinghuysen Chapter) and the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. Prior to law school, Nuo worked in biotech in the Bay area. Soon after, the humanities and the law came calling, and Nuo moved to New Jersey in 2012 for law school.
Born in China and having grown up in the San Francisco Bay area, Nuo may be a newer New Jerseyan, but he said that he has never been made to feel like a transplant. Indeed, Nuo said that when he was waiting to receive his COVID-19 booster shot, his car broke down outside a CVS. While parked, Nuo mentioned, that no less than three passersby offered help. Nuo expressed that the “People of New Jersey have been super decent, kind, and welcoming.”
Nuo joined the VLJ volunteer family in May 2021 supporting VLJ’s Divorce Program. In looking to further his passion of pro bono and volunteerism established in law school, Nuo reached out to various bar associations and deployed a trusty Google search to eventually connect with VLJ. Nuo was drawn to VLJ’s Divorce Program, specifically the Divorce Clinic, because he said it was not only an opportunity to do good, it was also an opportunity to work in a different area of the law. Nuo’s experience as an immigrant whose family navigated the U.S. immigration system prepared him to assist clients who were often having their own first experience with the civil justice system. Nuo noted that some of the clients he helped were anxious, nervous, and stressed to the point that even a simple (to an attorney) legal matter could become overwhelming. Nuo found immense satisfaction and gratitude in being able to speak with a client, hear their story, and provide counsel.
Not to be content with just one programmatic area, Nuo soon started volunteering with VLJ’s Debt Relief Legal Program (DRLP). It may then come as no surprise that the client stories that stuck with him the most were DRLP cases. In fact, Nuo said that a large portion of his experience with consumer law and bankruptcy came directly from VLJ.
When asked why pro bono work is important, Nuo responded that the cost of legal services will always shut out a segment of the population. This lack of access to affordable legal counsel is exacerbated by the fact that, generally, there is no right to counsel in most civil legal cases (compared with the constitutional right to counsel in criminal law cases). Nuo is also mindful that a lot of civil legal matters, be it a divorce or bankruptcy, are daunting to undertake alone. For Nuo, pro bono work is not only extrinsic, it also a strong motivator for personal growth. As Nuo puts it, “Pro bono provides a type of practice outside one’s comfort zone. Being outside your comfort zone for an extended period of time ultimately expands your comfort zone.”
When Nuo isn’t using his pro bono superpowers, he is an avid singer, songwriter, and blues guitarist. Occasionally, Nuo can be found at open mic nights. Nuo also found that during virtual clinic meetings with VLJ clients, chatting about music and having his guitar in view in the background would help put the clients at ease and break the ice, especially when the client is under stress.
Whether it is providing translation for Mandarin-speaking clients and community members or helping families find a fresh start through bankruptcy, Nuo is using his pro bono superpowers for good, and VLJ is profoundly grateful that Nuo chose to volunteer with us. Thank you for your energy, compassion, and dedication, Nuo!