As is a beloved VLJ tradition, every month we highlight an “above and beyond” volunteer as part of VLJ’s Volunteer of the Month series. For January 2023, we highlight three VLJ volunteers who donated their time and talent as members of VLJ’s Board of Trustees: Angela Coxe, Bill Krovatin, and Susan McGahan. Angela, Bill, and Susan completed their terms as board trustees at the end of 2022, and have now transitioned off the board. As a way to say “Thank you!” for their service, please read about a few of the names and faces who serve and support VLJ.
Angela Coxe
Angela Coxe, Senior Counsel with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, joined VLJ’s board in 2016. Prior to joining the board, Angela was involved with VLJ’s Hurricane Sandy legal efforts (Hewlett Packard Enterprise, formerly Hewlett-Packard Company, volunteered to support survivors of Hurricane Sandy with their legal needs). Angela and her team were later recognized for their efforts by VLJ at an Arts & Eats for Justice Gala. In addition to her Hurricane Sandy work, Angela has volunteered with various VLJ programs. While COVID resulted in less availability for Angela and her team to volunteer, she hopes to change that (and make time to volunteer with her children’s schools, including her recent role as a cheerleading coach). Volunteering is something Angela has done since she was a child, starting with volunteering at a soup kitchen with her mom to managing volunteer programs in college. Volunteering is something that Angela believes makes a difference and is very rewarding. Angela said she was honored to serve on the VLJ Board with such an amazing group of professionals and philanthropists.
Angela completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics/computer science at Lafayette College, her law degree at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, and her LLM in Intellectual Property Law at George Washington University Law School.
Angela’s journey from volunteer to board member came from seeing firsthand how she and her team helped so many people in a time of need coupled with seeing how well VLJ supported its volunteers (the caliber of VLJ’s staff is always impressive). That showed Angela the value in VLJ, and for her, it was an organization she wanted to serve.
During Angela’s time on the board, VLJ grew, expanding staffing and expertise (ultimately increasing the impact across New Jersey). Angela loved to see VLJ “grow up” into a state-wide organization. Reflecting on her time as a board trustee, Angela said it was a very rewarding experience. For Angela, VLJ made it easy to volunteer (an experience shared by her and other volunteers). For clinics, volunteers show up and VLJ provides the resources and knowledge. If a volunteer wants to take a case, Angela said that she feels confident that VLJ would be a great source of information and assistance. Angela is considering taking a case as her next step in giving back through VLJ. Angela said she never felt alone while volunteering, and she looks forward to continuing to help others in New Jersey who are less fortunate.
When asked what ensuring access to justice means for her, Angela said that access to justice “provides those who may not have resources to know how the court system works to obtain assistance and/or representation so they can actually have a fair chance with the courts.”
Bill Krovatin
Bill joined VLJ’s board in 2017, and during that time he was Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Merck. October 2022 marked 29 years at Merck, and, near the end of 2022, Bill retired from Merck and VLJ’s board, setting in motion a new chapter with unwritten adventures to come.
Bill completed his undergraduate degree at MIT and his law degree at Rutgers Law–Newark. Bill is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. During his many years practicing law, Bill was on the board of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), and he was also a member of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel (ACPC).
Like many VLJ volunteers and trustees, Bill came to know VLJ through his company, Merck. Merck had a long association with VLJ going back many years, and Mark Daniel was very instrumental in getting pro bono started at Merck. It was that energetic start that set the ball rolling for Bill; Bill and his colleagues at Merck worked on several VLJ matters over the years. Mark ended up reporting to Bill, and when Mark retired from Merck and VLJ’s board, Bill graciously stepped in to serve.
Bill has rave reviews for his time at VLJ: he had a great experience being on VLJ’s board, and he really enjoyed serving with his co-trustees and VLJ staff. As a resident of Essex County for over 40 years, Bill said that the work VLJ does is incredibly important to the community in Essex County, and that progress has been made on ensuring access to justice.
As someone who started pro bono work early in their career, Bill said the only regret he had was not volunteering more in his later professional years. For those on the fence about volunteering, Bill shared some wise words, “Like anytime you do something that is outside of your comfort zone, the hurdles aren’t as big as you think they are, especially with pro bono work. You are helping people who really need your help and could benefit from your skills. You will fit right in.”
While Bill’s time on VLJ’s board went by in the blink of an eye, he said one of his most memorable moments was working on VLJ’s three-year strategic plan. Bill recalled that the process was eye opening as he watched VLJ mature and establish long-term goals to expand access to justice. Bill also spent some time serving on VLJ’s Gala Committee, which was another eye opener. Bill witnessed firsthand how much preparation was required for a four-hour event, and that experience showed Bill that what he thought he knew was far from the truth. He also echoed a sentiment shared by many, “Jaclyn [Kramer] is amazing.”
“Ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty” is VLJ’s mission, and for Bill, that means,
“People who are experiencing poverty have so many obstacles that they need to overcome. For me, the mission statement of VLJ really speaks to one aspect of what these folks are up against. Many times, it is a big and a daunting one. Most non-lawyers can’t tackle legal issues alone which is why people from all walks of life hire lawyers. Because of the way the system works, they can’t manage their own legal problems. Lawyers who are willing to give their time and expertise can help these folks get justice. Justice means getting your driver's license back, not getting evicted from your apartment, not being overwhelmed by usury credit problems. Problems that, for most people not experiencing poverty, can deal with in an efficient manner.”
As Bill settles into retirement (he hopes to sleep and exercise more and sit less), he reflects on his time at Merck and serving on VLJ’s board. Bill takes personal satisfaction in his three adult children who are in service positions (Bill’s children include a school teacher, a social worker, and one in school to become a psychologist). As is no surprise, over the years Bill and his family have undertaken a fair amount of community volunteering. In fact, Bill and one of his daughters volunteered on a local ambulance squad. Bill said, “Volunteering is part of the family fabric.”
Susan McGahan
Susan, one of VLJ’s longest serving board trustees, joined the board in 2011. During her tenure she served as VLJ Board Chair from 2016-2020. Susan is currently Assistant Vice President–Senior Legal Counsel at AT&T. Embodying the spirit of pro bono, Susan served as National Chair of AT&T’s National Pro Bono Committee, and she currently serves as the Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Law.
Susan received her undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Bridgeport and her law degree from New York law School. Susan is barred in Massachusetts, New Jersey (in-house license), and New York. She is also admitted to practice before the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Susan began volunteering with VLJ at the outset of the financial crisis in the late 2000s. She led the inaugural team of AT&T volunteers who participated in VLJ’s then new legal clinic designed to help debtors experiencing poverty who were being sued in Special Civil Court. Susan is the longest-standing volunteer with the Debt Relief Legal Program, helping over 125 clients through this program (and still going strong). In another first, Susan was one of the first attorneys to volunteer at VLJ’s inaugural ReLeSe expungement clinic in February 2020, helping 15 clients with expungements since.
When asked why she volunteers, Susan responded:
“It is my history to give back. If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem. The breadth of services VLJ provided was appealing. I honed in on the Consumer Debt Clinic early on. I was able to go to court, prepare pleadings, and represent clients. I had an ability right then and there to file an answer.” And on her recent work helping VLJ clients with expungements, Susan remarked, “That’s why we have erasers: people deserve second chances.”
As someone who so generously donates their time and talent, Susan doesn’t do it for the accolades, but because, in her heart, volunteering is the right thing to do. Susan’s time with VLJ as a volunteer and trustee has been guided by her understanding of the power of pro bono: “Pro bono means justice for all regardless of your economic means.”
We will miss having Angela, Bill, and Susan on our board (but they aren’t going too far!), and we are profoundly grateful to and for them. Their years of service have led VLJ to greater heights and pushed the organization to ensure more New Jerseyans experiencing poverty have access to justice. Thank you, Angela, Bill, and Susan, for your service, for your leadership, and for harnessing the power of pro bono!