Dear Friends,
As we usher in a new year, I find myself reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of 2023. While our clients faced hurdles from increased living costs, changes to judicial processes, and delays by government agencies, our staff, volunteers, and donors stood up for justice. I am grateful to share some of the remarkable strides we made together last year.
In 2023, our dedicated team worked tirelessly to address the unmet civil legal needs of our neighbors. While numbers tell only part of the story, based on preliminary figures, more than 1,750 clients received VLJ services on over 1,900 individual legal matters.
Not surprisingly, over half of the cases our attorneys worked on involved eviction defense, followed by veterans legal issues and consumer debt matters. One measure of our impact lies in the lives touched: 4,000 individuals—children, families, neighbors, seniors, women, and veterans—felt the positive influence of VLJ's services and your compassionate pursuit of justice.
In response to soaring housing insecurity in New Jersey, VLJ's Tenancy Program launched a weekly virtual legal clinic, ensuring tenants could easily connect with attorneys and prepare for trials. The enduring collaboration with Lowenstein Sandler and Prudential on their tenancy clinic, along with Newark Community Solutions and Catholic Charities providing holistic wraparound support, made a real difference. Take the story of "Gina," a mother facing unjust eviction attempts based on illegally-charged fees. Thanks to a pro bono attorney from McCarter & English, Gina received $700 in credit toward her rent for the illegal fees she paid, all three cases against her were dismissed, and Gina and her two young children remained in their home.
Beyond direct client services, VLJ actively tackled broken systems in our state, collaborating with partners to publish op-eds, advocate for legislative changes, and support a class action lawsuit. Notably, we partnered with a coalition of advocates across the state to develop a solution to a years-long backlog by the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) in processing expungement orders. At the end of the year, the Office of the Public Defender filed a class action lawsuit against the NJSP to require compliance with court ordered expungements.
The heart of our success shines bright in the dedication of our volunteers. While we are still finalizing volunteer statistics for 2023, at least 475 volunteers generously donated over 4,000 hours of their time, valued at more than $1.3 million. That should inspire us all. No doubt there will be new challenges to address in 2024, but with your support we will be prepared to have an even greater impact on New Jerseyans facing civil legal challenges.
Thank you for being an integral part of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice. Here's to a year filled with compassion, purpose, and justice.
Warm regards,
Cathy Keenan
Executive Director
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
P.S., If you would like to join us for another year of ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty in New Jersey, please click or tap the below for opportunities to volunteer and financially support our work:
• New volunteer sign-up
• Financially support help for neighbors with unmet civil legal needs