Eric W. Hughes
Bershad Director of Communications
Eric is the Bershad Director of Communications at Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, a role that involves engaging, storytelling, and cheerleading VLJ’s services and impact as well as the importance of making New Jersey a more equitably just place to live and work.
Eric is no stranger to public interest law and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining VLJ, Eric oversaw direct service programs at an anti-hunger organization, and previously spent several years at civil legal services organizations in New Jersey and Florida working on community engagement and access to justice while providing legal help regarding veterans, public benefits, and LGBTQ+ matters.
Eric is licensed to practice law in Florida, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Eric graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in German, and he received his Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law.
Awards & Recognition
Clayton B. Burton Award of Excellence — The Florida Bar Military & Veterans Affairs Committee (2016)
Publications
The Benefits of Volunteering Your Time for Pro Bono — Pro Bono: From Passion to Practice Blog, October 27, 2023
Understanding Trauma-Informed Legal Services: A Compassionate Approach To Law Practice — Pro Bono: From Passion to Practice Blog, January 31, 2024
Connect with Eric
““Ensuring access to justice means acknowledging that the current system of justice is flawed by design, and then tirelessly working to create a new system that places equity, honesty, integrity, and compassion at its core.” ”