February 2019 Volunteer of the Month: Tim Law

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is honored to recognize Tim Law as the February 2019 Volunteer of the Month for his work with our New Jersey Human Trafficking Victims’ Legal Assistance Program (Trafficking Program). Tim recognizes the pivotal role a skilled and dedicated attorney can play in changing the lives of human trafficking survivors with criminal records, and he exemplifies the zealous champion for survivors’ rights.

Tim is a Partner in the Philadelphia office of Reed Smith, where he represents corporations, non-profits, and universities in liability insurance coverage litigation, arbitration, and mediation.

January 2019 Volunteer of the Month: Brett Kahn

When he was a new associate at McCarter & English, Brett Kahn attended a luncheon where the firm’s partners discussed the importance of doing pro bono work and highlighted the opportunities for pro bono work with VLJ. After his first experience volunteering on a case, he was hooked. Over the years, Brett has worked on 37 different pro bono cases for VLJ clients. Today, almost a decade after that luncheon, Brett is a partner himself at McCarter & English, welcomed his first child in July, and is still taking on pro bono cases for VLJ.

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.

October 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Robert Nussbaum

A few missed payments on a credit card bill or a student loan can bring consumers into a legal system that seems overwhelming. Volunteer lawyers through VLJ’s Consumer Law Program help to relieve some of the pressure felt by these consumers. This month, we highlight the work of Rob Nussbaum of Saiber LLC. Rob’s practice at Saiber has centered on civil litigation including collection work, construction litigation, and personal injury defense work. That experience in civil litigation made Rob a natural fit for VLJ’s Consumer Law Program.

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NJ community celebrates honorees at annual Arts & Eats for Justice gala

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The event will start at 5:30 p.m. on November 14 at the Valley Regency in Clifton. Arts and Eats for Justice is a celebration of how VLJ staff, volunteers, funders, and community partners work together to transform the lives of low-income and vulnerable clients in New Jersey. Honorees are selected for their commitment to VLJ’s mission. Click to see who we’re honoring this year!

September 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Meredith Walsh

Victims of human sex trafficking face not only the private trauma of coercion and exploitation, but also, all too often, a very public record of their ordeal in the form of a criminal history if they have been forced into prostitution and related offenses.  Having a criminal record wrongly stigmatizes trafficking victims and survivors   and can prevent them from finding employment, stable housing, and the other basic services that are necessary to move on with their lives.  But, as attorney Meredith Walsh has experienced firsthand, that’s where a lawyer can step in to help.  By helping trafficking victims use a state law passed for the express purpose of vacating their criminal records, Meredith and other pro bono attorneys give their clients a fresh start.

August 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Kathleen DeCelie

For many professionals, the greatest obstacle to volunteering is finding the time. But Prudential’s Kathleen DeCelie says this doesn’t have to be the case. She points to her experience, volunteering through VLJ, which has provided a variety of pro bono opportunities suitable to her schedule as a full-time attorney, wife and mother of two. “You choose how long and how much you want to do.  You can volunteer for four to five hours, no more.  And when you do, I promise that you will win,” says Kathleen. Nonetheless, she feels fortunate to work at a company where there is not only a commitment to pro bono but also an encouragement to do so. 

July 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Sneha Desai

Making a positive impact on the community can take many different forms – whether it’s volunteering at a limited-scope legal clinic, serving on the board of a legal services organization, or even founding a non-profit to provide assistance in another country.  VLJ volunteer and BASF attorney Sneha Desai has done it all.

June 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Paul Evangelista

Declaring bankruptcy is a difficult decision for anyone to make, and successfully navigating the complex bankruptcy process is also difficult, if not impossible, to do without the assistance of legal counsel.  That is where volunteers like bankruptcy attorney Paul Evangelista step in to help provide the much-needed pro bono bankruptcy assistance to low-income debtors.  Doing his part to ensure that justice is accessible to everyone, Paul has been volunteering with VLJ’s Bankruptcy Program for over a year now, representing indigent debtors in filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions.

VLJ Receives 2018 Jefferson Award Medallion

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice has received the 2018 Jefferson Award Medallion in the Volunteer Group category for outstanding work benefiting the community. The Jefferson Awards were established in 1972 as the official recognition program of the United States Senate. They are considered America’s highest honor for public service and volunteerism. “We were so honored to be nominated for this award by our Board Chair, Susan McGahan, a steadfast supporter of justice.”

May 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Becky Rosenfeld

The school-to-prison pipeline – a disturbing national trend in which children, especially those who are minorities or have disabilities, are pushed out of the classroom and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems – has made national headlines in recent years, with much discussion on how to address this problem.  For attorney Becky Rosenfeld, it meant a career change – from representing defendants in criminal matters to going back to the start: school.

April 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Maryann McGrath

Paralegals are an integral part of the practice of law. The American Bar Association recognizes that paralegals can enhance lawyers’ abilities to offer paid and pro bono services. That is also true of the role of paralegals as volunteers with VLJ, including longtime Consumer Law Clinic volunteer Maryann McGrath. Maryann is a paralegal at AT&T, currently focusing on domestic and international corporate governance.  Maryann has volunteered with the Consumer Law Clinic every month for the past 5 years. 

March 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Kelly Lloyd Lankford

For a new attorney, several reasons might serve as deterrents to taking on a pro bono case: it might be a lot of work; it’s likely an area of law the attorney knows little about; or maybe it’s just difficult to know where to begin.  But Kelly Lloyd Lankford has experienced firsthand the benefits of pro bono work, and wants to reassure other young attorneys that it can be a positive experience.

Kelly is a Senior Managing Associate at Dentons.  Kelly has volunteered with VLJ for the past several years and recently accepted a position as co-chair of VLJ’s Generation Now.

February 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Maritza Rodriguez

The dissolution of marriage is a profoundly stressful, emotional and life changing experience for all parties involved.  Maritza Rodriguez has devoted her entire career to helping clients from different backgrounds navigate the complicated legal process while offering them the emotional guidance and support along the way.

January 2018 Volunteer of the Month: Mary Kenny

American veterans face significant struggles after serving our country and returning home.  Mary Kenny thinks that for many veterans these struggles cannot be overcome without the assistance of the courts, organizations like VLJ, and volunteers like her team at BASF Corporation.

Mary is Senior Counsel in the legal department of BASF, the North American affiliate of BASF SE, the world’s largest chemical company.  She supports one of the business units at BASF, doing transactional work for her group. In addition to her role as a business attorney, she also acts as BASF’s pro bono coordinator.

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December 2017 Volunteer of the Month: Laura Kelly

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It would be easy to make the assumption that low-income clients with very few assets would have little need for a will.  On the contrary, as Laura Kelly says, “That just makes the assets they do have even more important to them.”

Laura is a Partner at McCarter & English.  She has concentrated her practice in trusts and estates matters since 1994, and has volunteered with VLJ for the past several years both by taking pro bono estate cases for full representation and by speaking at VLJ’s clinics to train volunteer attorneys.

November 2017 Volunteer of the Month: Steve Weingarten

Steve Weingarten is Chief Counsel-Corporate Affairs and Corporate Assistant Secretary of Newark, New Jersey-based Panasonic Corporation of North America (PNA), a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies, and consumers across the region.  Steve also advises both PNA’s community outreach and employee volunteer programs, and the Panasonic Foundation, which provides support to school systems in the greater Newark area and throughout the United States.

Earlier this year, in partnership with PNA and BASF Corporation, VLJ launched the Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic at the VA hospital in East Orange.

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VLJ In the News: The Long Road Home, a Report on the Recovery Process after Superstorm Sandy

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VLJ contributed to a recent report on the challenges of the recovery process after Superstorm Sandy.  The report, “The Long Road Home,” analyzed the results of a survey taken by over 500 Sandy survivors found that 22% of respondents were still out of their homes at the time of the survey; that 77% of respondents either did not have enough money to finish rebuilding their homes; and that more than 70% of respondents had developed new physical or mental health problems or a worsening of pre-existing health conditions since Sandy.