Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride. This year marks a monumental milestone for Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ): our 25th anniversary. What began in 2001 as a modest effort to address the growing number of unrepresented people in Essex County has transformed into a powerful movement for access to justice across New Jersey. For a quarter of a century, your hands, your hearts, and your advocacy have ensured that poverty is not a barrier to justice.