"Pro bono work is both an opportunity and a responsibility to use your legal skills to provide tangible change to someone in need. No one ever regrets helping others; rather, I often hear people say they wish they had started their pro bono work sooner.”
-Katie Gannon
Championing Access to Justice - VLJ’s November 2025 Volunteer of the Month, Katie Gannon
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is proud to celebrate Katie Gannon as our November 2025 Volunteer of the Month! A Principal at Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C. (Bressler) in the environmental law practice group, Katie uses her extensive legal experience and deep passion for community service to power VLJ’s mission of ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty. Katie is a graduate of The College of New Jersey and Seton Hall University School of Law.
A Commitment to Those Who Served
Katie's involvement with VLJ began in 2016 through Bressler’s partnership with BASF in VLJ’s Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic (part of VLJ’s Veterans Legal Program). In addition to volunteering her time and talent at the legal clinics, Katie serves as the primary liaison between VLJ and Bressler. Since beginning her volunteer journey with VLJ, Katie has generously donated over $17,200 worth of free civil legal services to veterans, ranging from criminal record expungement, family law, estate planning, and more.
When asked what she likes most about volunteering with VLJ, Katie shared, "I get to meet with veterans from all walks of life and hear their unique experiences after serving in the military. Often, our veterans are facing significant life challenges, but their resilience and ability to remain positive is a humbling experience.”
Katie’s commitment to compassionately serving those who served is powerfully illustrated by a memorable moment: a client who was experiencing mental health challenges following his military service broke down during their meeting. Katie recalled the anguish in his voice was heartbreaking. Fortunately, Katie and her volunteer colleagues were able to devise a plan for him to tackle one issue at a time and, by the end of their session, he thanked them profusely for allowing him to feel heard. Katie reflected, “It was a moving experience that I will not forget.”
More Than a Privilege
For Katie, pro bono is about fulfilling a core responsibility of the legal profession while recognizing that access to justice is a right, not a privilege. To attorneys hesitant about pro bono, Katie offered, "Pro bono work is both an opportunity and a responsibility to use your legal skills to provide tangible change to someone in need. No one ever regrets helping others; rather, I often hear people say they wish they had started their pro bono work sooner. In fact, volunteering with VLJ has given me the professional opportunity to hone my legal skills such as advocacy, leadership, and judgment. On a personal level, volunteering has allowed me to give back to the community and has provided me with perspective and empathy that I am not sure I would have had without this experience."
Thank you, Katie, for harnessing the power of pro bono with VLJ!
Want to join Katie in ensuring access to justice? Contact Emerald Sheay at esheay@vljnj.org or visit vljnj.org/why-probono.