Happy Pro Bono Week!
’Tis the season for celebrating all things pro bono. This week, during National Celebration of Pro Bono, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) will feature some of our amazing volunteers whose generous donation of time and talent ensures access to justice.
Today, we celebrate David Camuzo, Vice President and Corporate Counsel at Prudential Financial. David volunteers with our Tenancy Program, and he shared his thoughts on the importance of pro bono and why he volunteers with VLJ:
“Everyone, especially attorneys, have a responsibility to work to ensure that the legal system is fair and just. Pro bono work puts attorneys in a position to walk into a decidedly lopsided setting and give a voice to an indigent or other disadvantaged party. Furthering the goals of fairness, justice and access to legal representation is essential to our legal system. Pro bono work provides each attorney with the means to play their own critical role in supporting these ideals.
I volunteer with VLJ because I enjoy helping people and following my father’s example. My father was an accountant and he frequently provided free accounting services for not-for-profit institutions that offered critical services. Similarly, VLJ provides access to legal representation for the most critical need of all: housing. Other than food assistance, I can’t think of a more important need. Moreover, I love the idea of a landlord being excited about executing an easy case against an unrepresented tenant and then finding out the bad news: VLJ and its considerable legal talent and resources are on the case representing the tenant. I love that happy ending.”
Thank you, David, for harnessing the power of pro bono with us!
Looking to join in on the celebration? Contact Emerald Sheay at esheay@vljnj.org or visit vljnj.org/pro-bono-week to get started.