“Ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty means tapping into resources in the community, including lawyers and support staff in private practice and in-house positions, and distributing the resources to all individuals in order to provide equal access to legal services. I volunteer with VLJ because it allows me to do just that.”
-Genna Conti
For our July 2025 Volunteer of the Month, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) spotlights Genna Conti. Genna, an associate in the Business & Commercial Litigation Group at Gibbons P.C., lives and breathes the spirit of pro bono, consistently going above and beyond to make a powerful difference in the lives of VLJ clients.
A graduate of The College of New Jersey and Rutgers Law who joined VLJ’s volunteer ranks in 2018 while a first-year associate at Gibbons, Genna has a passion for pro bono that has remained close to home. Her VLJ origin story began in a Veterans Legal Program (VLP) legal clinic, and since then, she has become a regular at VLP and ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) Program clinics. As if that weren’t enough, Genna has taken on intricate individual expungement cases, helping clients clear their criminal records and remove barriers to new opportunities. All told, Genna’s generous donation of time and talent includes 26 client matters, nearly 205 hours of pro bono, and an incredible $78,301 worth of free civil legal services!
When asked what she loves about volunteering with VLJ, Genna shared, "I enjoy being able to help veterans remove obstacles from their past in order to reach their goals and set up their futures for success." Empowering community members is truly at the heart of Genna’s pro bono efforts.
One of Genna’s most cherished memories with VLJ perfectly illustrates the impact of ensuring access to justice—a veteran she successfully helped with an expungement called to share life-changing news that, because of the expungement, the veteran was able to secure the job they had been working toward.
Genna finds her pro bono work “extremely meaningful and rewarding.” For those hesitant to jump into pro bono, she recommends that “they should go for it!" Genna’s experience as a lead lawyer on complex pro bono cases has also been invaluable for her professional growth, allowing her to hone her skills while serving those with unmet civil legal needs.
“Ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty means tapping into resources in the community, including lawyers and support staff in private practice and in-house positions, and distributing the resources to all individuals in order to provide equal access to legal services. I volunteer with VLJ because it allows me to do just that.”
Thank you, Genna, for changing lives with the power of pro bono!
Inspired by Genna to harness the power of pro bono? Then contact Emerald Sheay at esheay@vljnj.org or visit www.vljnj.org/why-probono.