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 Ruchi Behera, Pro Bono Fellow for the City of Newark at McCarter & English, LLP. Ruchi volunteers with our Divorce Program.
Pro Bono Week 2025 Volunteer Feature: Han Lin Rong
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 will feature some of our amazing volunteers whose generous donation of time and talent ensures access to justice.
Today, we celebrate Han Lin Rong, an associate at Allyn & Fortuna LLP. Han Lin volunteers with our Veterans Legal Program.
Pro Bono Week 2025 Volunteer Feature: Fran M. Skoller
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 will feature some of our amazing volunteers whose generous donation of time and talent ensures access to justice.
Kicking things off right, we celebrate Fran M. Skoller, finance attorney and partner at Thompson Coburn LLP.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Gala Raises Record-Breaking Amount, Honors Champions of Justice in New Jersey
NEWARK, NJ – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) announces a monumental success for its annual gala, Uniting for Justice – A Benefit Celebrating Collaboration and Change in New Jersey, held this past Tuesday, October 7 at The Park Savoy Estate. The event shattered previous fundraising records, bringing in an unprecedented $783,000—the largest amount ever raised for a VLJ gala.
Rooted in Service - Fostering a Pro Bono Culture in New Jersey
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Staff Attorney, Emerald Sheay, recently wrote an article that was published in the New Jersey State Bar Association’s October 2025 issue of New Jersey Lawyer.
VLJ September 2025 Volunteer of the Month: Alyssa D’Antonio
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) proudly recognizes Alyssa D’Antonio as our September 2025 Volunteer of the Month! Alyssa is Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, where her practice focuses on intellectual property and life sciences. While her day-to-day work involves complex patent law, she volunteers with VLJ's Tenancy Program, using her legal talent to keep families safely housed at home.
VLJ Statement on Maureen “Mo” McCully Winograd’s Passing
VLJ August 2025 Volunteer of the Month: Alyssa Bartholomew
This month, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) celebrates Alyssa Bartholomew, an associate in the Family Law Group at Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, as our August 2025 Volunteer of the Month. Alyssa first became involved with VLJ last year through her firm and thanks to VLJ Board Trustee Maritza Rodríguez.
Jessica Kitson Interviewed on Issues And Ideas With Chris DeBello
On Friday, August 8, Jessica Kitson, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice’s Director of Legal Advocacy and a member of Freedom Network USA, was interviewed on Issues And Ideas With Chris DeBello.
Jessica Kitson Appointed to New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking Board
NEWARK, NJ – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is proud to announce that Jessica Kitson, VLJ's Director of Legal Advocacy, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NJCAHT). This appointment underscores Jessica’s commitment to justice and her compassionate expertise in advocating for survivors.
VLJ July 2025 Volunteer of the Month: 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.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Publishes its 2024 Annual Report
New Summer 2025 Intern Spotlight: Colleen Wanner
Rounding out Volunteer Lawyers for Justice’s Summer 2025 interns, VLJ welcomes Colleen Wanner to the team. This summer, Colleen will support VLJ’s PRIDE Name Change Program, ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) Program, and Veterans Legal Program.
New Summer 2025 Intern Spotlight: Sarah Afromsky
New Summer 2025 Intern Spotlight: Marthalyn Johnson
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice welcomes Marthalyn Johnson to our team as a Summer 2025 intern. Marthalyn is a rising 3L at Rutgers Law School–Newark and will be working with VLJ’s Divorce Program, South Ward Promise Neighborhood Program, and Tenancy Program.
VLJ June 2025 Volunteer of the Month: Morris "Mo" Bauer
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is delighted to shine its June 2025 Volunteer of the Month spotlight on Morris “Mo” Bauer, a partner in the Business Reorganization & Financial Restructuring Practice Group at Duane Morris LLP, a firm that strongly advocates for pro bono (which Mo has embraced wholeheartedly). At Duane Morris, Mo specializes in representing financially distressed businesses, lenders, and creditors in various proceedings, including out-of-court workouts, bankruptcy litigation, Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 representations, and also serves as a bankruptcy mediator.
VLJ June 2025 Defender of Justice: Saranya Thana
Please join Volunteer Lawyers for Justice in celebrating Saranya Thana, VLJ's Director of Development, as our latest Defender of Justice! While it feels like Saranya has been with us for years, it’s only been six months, further hitting home how impressive her impact has been in such a short amount of time.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Announces Officer Elections for its Board of Trustees; Sneha Desai Elected Chair
NEWARK, NJ — Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) announces the election of officers to its Board of Trustees, ushering in a new era of leadership dedicated to expanding access to justice for communities experiencing poverty across New Jersey. Sneha Desai, Esq., Chief Legal Counsel, Global Litigation & Employment at Stryker, has been elected Chair of the Board.
VLJ May 2025 Volunteer of the Month: Kerdesha Desir
Kerdesha Desir has built her legal career on the principle that knowledge is meant to be shared—and for her, that means showing up for clients who might otherwise face the court system alone.
A family law associate at Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC, Kerdesha focuses her practice on matrimonial and non-dissolution matters, domestic violence cases, and adoption and guardianship issues.
VLJ April 2025 Defender of Justice: Jessica Kitson
When Jessica Kitson joined Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) in 2014 as a Managing Attorney, her early work focused on launching the New Jersey Trafficking Victims Legal Assistance Program (now New Jersey Survivors Justice Project). Fast forward to today, and Jessica has become a national expert on legal services for survivors of human trafficking and now serves as VLJ’s Director of Legal Advocacy—overseeing all of the organization’s legal and policy work with the same passion, energy, and heart that’s made her a cornerstone of the VLJ team for over a decade.