Alexandra Bravo
“It is very nice to work with people who genuinely care about providing services and genuinely care about our clients, people who make sure that our clients are not taken advantage of.”
VLJ can’t properly ring in the new year without another installment of our Defender of Justice series. VLJ’s February 2023 Defender of Justice is a name and face many know and appreciate, and she is a tour de force for veterans: Alexandra Bravo. Alexandra is a staff attorney who oversees VLJ’s Veterans Legal Program and handles issues relating to child support as they arise in other programs. Alexandra is no stranger to VLJ, having interned with the organization during law school (summer 2016) prior to joining as a staff attorney in October 2019.
Alexandra received her bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University, graduating magna cum laude, and she graduated from Rutgers Law School-Newark in 2017. Prior to joining VLJ as a staff attorney, Alexandra clerked for the Honorable Yolanda Adrianzen, J.S.C at the Superior Court of New Jersey-Family Division in Passaic County, and she was an associate at Bastarrika, Soto, Gonzalez, & Somohano, LLP where she practiced family law.
In addition to overseeing VLJ’s Veterans Legal Program, Alexandra has quite the institutional knowledge and experience at VLJ, having taken the “teamwork makes the dream work” approach by supporting VLJ services such as estate planning, expungement, divorce, driver’s license restoration, tenancy, and human trafficking. Alexandra also works to recruit volunteers to help meet the overwhelming demand from veterans with their unmet civil legal needs. Fortunately for VLJ, Alexandra has a passion and drive to serve those who served, and her empathy, compassion, and professionalism lead the way in ensuring access to justice for veterans in New Jersey.
When asked what her favorite thing about working at VLJ is, Alexandra responded, “The people. It is very nice to work with people who genuinely care about providing services and genuinely care about our clients, people who make sure that our clients are not taken advantage of.” Ask anyone at VLJ about Alexandra and their answer would likely be the same; Alexandra’s care for VLJ clients and volunteers is undeniable and inspirational. While Alexandra is hesitant to talk up her accomplishments (she expressed that she feels like her work is never enough and that there is always more to do), recent positive client outcomes include a name change for a veteran, vacatur relief for a survivor of human trafficking, and helping a veteran have over $36,200 in wrongly accrued child support vacated.
Even though Alexandra won’t admit it, we will: she is an incredible attorney and human whose every day involves changing lives. It should then come as no surprise that Alexandra hopes to continue helping people years from now. Of course, Alexandra is more than a social justice warrior; when not “fighting the good fight” at VLJ, she loves baking (but avoids baking cakes due to the dreaded decoration) and spending time with her husband and son. Simply put, Alexandra is a prime example of a Defender of Justice, and we are incredibly proud of her and grateful to share in her light, her passion, and her dedication to making New Jersey a more just place to live and work.
Thank you, Alexandra! Today and every day, we celebrate you.