Asad Rizvi has been an active and dedicated volunteer at VLJ’s Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic since shortly after starting with PNA in April 2019. He notes that with the strong encouragement of PNA Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Jessica L. Hodkinson, the entire PNA Legal Department team has played a great role in the Clinic since its inception, with additional support from PNA’s law firm partners such as McGuireWoods LLP and Nukk-Freeman & Cerra, P.C.
November 2020 Volunteer of the Month: Michael Kondria
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is proud to feature Michael Kondria as its November Volunteer of the Month. Michael is Assistant Counsel-Environmental at PSEG Services Corporation (PSEG) where he practices environmental law and focuses on environmental health and safety matters arising from federal, state and local laws and regulations.
November 2019 Volunteer of the Month: Karyllan Dodson Mack
This month, VLJ is excited to honor Veterans Legal Program volunteer Karyllan Dodson Mack. Karyllan is Assistant General Counsel in the Environmental Practice Group at BASF Corporation and has volunteered with VLJ since 2016. She began working with VLJ at the Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic, a walk-in program at the East Orange VA Hospital to assess veterans’ pressing legal needs. Karyllan was immediately a standout volunteer and said she was “excited to be a part of a program to help our veterans.”
VLJ Receives Generous Grant from PSEG Foundation to Support Our Veterans
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is pleased to announce it has received a significant grant from the PSEG Foundation to support the Veterans Legal Program at VLJ. The Veterans Legal Program began in 2014 to assist with legal issues that veterans frequently face. The Veterans Legal Program includes the PSEG Veterans Legal Clinic, a free monthly legal clinic held in downtown Newark, where veterans have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with volunteer attorneys and paralegals from PSEG, Gibbons, and McCarter & English. Currently, volunteers provide veterans with legal advice and assistance drafting letters and legal pleadings, and there are plans to expand the clinic to serve more veterans in the coming year. VLJ also partners with veteran’s service providers across the state, including the East Orange VA Hospital, GI Go Fund, and VAST, to provide seamless service to veterans in need of services. In 2018, VLJ assisted 181 veterans through the Veterans Legal Program.
December 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Matt Jokajtys
For New Jersey’s veterans, nagging legal issues such as old criminal convictions or suspended driver’s licenses can derail their lives and make it nearly impossible for them to secure housing and employment. The Veteran’s Legal Program was started with generous funding from PSEG in January 2014 to address the critical legal needs of veterans and active military members. VLJ coordinates regular clinics in conjunction with PSEG where volunteer attorneys assist veterans with their legal challenges and honor their military service. This month, we highlight the work of PSEG attorney Matthew Jokajtys as VLJ’s volunteer of the month for his work with the Veteran’s Legal Program.
VLJ In The News: BASF helps Vets with legal work and other biz news
Introducing the Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic and Tenancy Clinic
VLJ is excited to announce two new legal programs this year. The Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic is the first legal services clinic to be held regularly at the East Orange VA Hospital; VLJ is proud to partner with the legal departments of BASF and Panasonic, as well as the law firms, Day Pitney LLP, Nukk-Freeman & Cerra PC, and McGuire Woods LLP on this ground-breaking new program. The Tenancy Clinic is our second new program and it is co-sponsored by Prudential and Lowenstein Sandler.
ABA Pro Bono Week
At VLJ, we celebrate pro bono work every day, but in honor of the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Week (October 23rd to 29th), we have planned a wide variety of events for attorneys and clients. The goals of the celebration include recruiting more pro bono volunteers and increasing legal services to poor and vulnerable people, mobilizing community support for pro bono, fostering collaborative relationships, and recognizing the pro bono efforts of America’s lawyers. Click through to see some events that we have planned.
Attorney Spotlight: Suzanne Klar (PSEG)
Suzanne M. Klar is an example of how one person can spark beneficial and lasting change—in this case, for veterans.
In 2013, the PSEG associate general litigation counsel approached Volunteer Lawyers for Justice about a broader pro bono role by attorneys in her company’s legal department. A VLJ board member since 2008, Suzanne had been focused on pro bono work for years. In particular, she noticed that veterans and active service members had critical legal needs.