VLJ’s Uniting for Justice Gala
Celebrating 25 Years

Tuesday, October 6, 2026
5:30 – 8:30 PM

The Park Savoy Estate
236 Ridgedale Ave
Florham Park, NJ 07932 

McCarter & English, LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 425 lawyers across 12 offices delivering sophisticated legal solutions nationwide. Beyond its client work, the firm has made pro bono service a true cornerstone of its practice, and for twenty-five years, McCarter & English has stood as one of New Jersey's most transformative forces in the pursuit of equal justice, a firm whose vision didn't just support the growth of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), but helped bring it into existence.

In 2000, when Essex County’s legal services offices were buckling under the weight of unmet need, McCarter & English partner Susan Feeney joined forces with colleagues from Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione (now FBT Gibbons LLP) and the Essex County Bar Association to mobilize the private bar’s untapped potential. That insight became VLJ. A quarter-century later, the firm’s pro bono fingerprints are on nearly every major chapter of VLJ’s story.

The numbers alone speak to a remarkable commitment: since 2001, more than 240 McCarter & English attorneys have volunteered with VLJ, handling over 1,400 legal matters and contributing 9,500+ hours valued at more than $3.7 million. Yet the firm's generosity runs deeper than pro bono hours. As one of VLJ's leading financial supporters, and by generously providing the very office space that houses our operations, McCarter & English has given VLJ not just its time, but its home.

Whenever New Jersey residents experiencing poverty have faced civil legal challenges, McCarter & English has answered the call. McCarter & English served as an early champion of VLJ’s Debt Relief Legal Program, ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) Program, and Tenancy Program (including full-representation eviction defense cases), and the firm hosts a monthly Divorce Program legal clinic at its Newark office. When Superstorm Sandy devastated local communities, McCarter & English attorneys stepped up for VLJ’s Disaster Legal Response Program, guiding neighbors with compassion through complex legal recovery challenges.

In 2014, partnering with PSEG and Gibbons P.C., the firm helped launch VLJ’s Veterans Legal Program—the first of its kind in New Jersey. The program addresses civil legal issues that can impede veterans’ safety, security, and stability.

In 2015, in partnership with VLJ, McCarter & English successfully obtained the first vacatur relief for a survivor of human trafficking in New Jersey, launching our New Jersey Survivors Justice Project. The firm has sustained that commitment and continues to assist trafficking survivors seeking vacatur and expungement relief.

This extraordinary record of service has earned national and regional acclaim. The American Bar Association awarded McCarter & English its premier Pro Bono Publico Award in 2019 and in 2024, the Pro Bono Institute presented the firm and its Veterans Legal Program partners with the CPBO Pro Bono Partner Award. Individual firm attorneys have also been honored with the Essex County Bar Association’s Bernard A. Kuttner Pro Bono Service Award (Geoffrey Rosamond in 2012; Penelope Taylor in 2026). VLJ has also been fortunate to have a long line of McCarter & English attorneys serve as visionary leaders on our board of trustees.

As VLJ celebrates our 25th anniversary, we proudly present McCarter & English with the Legacy of Justice Award, which recognizes a law firm, corporation, or individual whose enduring commitment to pro bono legal service has expanded access to justice and strengthened the community over time. From Superstorm Sandy's aftermath to housing stability to survivors' second chances, McCarter & English's legacy is written into the lives of countless New Jerseyans who found, because of this firm, that justice was within reach.

Help Volunteer Lawyers for Justice celebrate McCarter & English, LLP and our 25th anniversary by purchasing tickets, sponsorships, and/or event journal ads.

Since 2001, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) has handled more than 17,400 legal cases impacting over 38,000 people. This was made possible by VLJ’s staff and more than 2,500 volunteers who donated 87,565 hours—equivalent to nearly 10 years of service—valued at $30.9 million.

Your support empowers justice.