News & Updates
TAKING CASES AND CHANGING LIVES IN A TIME OF CRISIS: TRAININGS FOR PRO BONO ATTORNEYS
Are you an attorney in NJ? Join VLJ for our June 2020: Lunch & Learn CLE Series. Fee waived for attorneys who agree to take a pro bono case with VLJ. To learn more about each training and to register, click HERE.
Join VLJ at our inaugural, online spring fundraiser, Three Cheers for Justice, Wednesday, May 27th @ 7 pm! Learn more and purchase your ticket HERE.
Michael B. Jordan was at the CityPlex 12 in Newark Tuesday night for the premiere of his latest film, “Just Mercy,” and he brought the cast of the movie, teachers, students, and community organizers with him.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Investors Foundation to support the New Jersey Trafficking Victims' Legal Assistance Program (Trafficking Program).
The Trafficking Program began in 2015 to provide an array of legal services to victims of human trafficking, including the criminal record clearing of arrests and convictions that resulted from having been trafficked. Despite great strides made in addressing this crisis, survivors continue to face significant barriers as they attempt to rebuild their lives post-trafficking.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is pleased to announce it has received a significant grant from the PSEG Foundation to support the Veterans Legal Program at VLJ. The Veterans Legal Program began in 2014 to assist with legal issues that veterans frequently face. The Veterans Legal Program includes the PSEG Veterans Legal Clinic, a free monthly legal clinic held in downtown Newark, where veterans have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with volunteer attorneys and paralegals from PSEG, Gibbons, and McCarter & English. Currently, volunteers provide veterans with legal advice and assistance drafting letters and legal pleadings, and there are plans to expand the clinic to serve more veterans in the coming year. VLJ also partners with veteran’s service providers across the state, including the East Orange VA Hospital, GI Go Fund, and VAST, to provide seamless service to veterans in need of services. In 2018, VLJ assisted 181 veterans through the Veterans Legal Program.
VLJ strives to meet its motto of “Taking Cases. Changing Lives.” It does that by seeking to increase the breadth of pro bono legal services offered; recruiting, training and supporting new and veteran volunteer attorneys; working effectively with social service providers to identify emerging legal issues throughout the state; and securing the generous and necessary funds to support VLJ’s programming.
The event will start at 5:30 p.m. on November 14 at the Valley Regency in Clifton. Arts and Eats for Justice is a celebration of how VLJ staff, volunteers, funders, and community partners work together to transform the lives of low-income and vulnerable clients in New Jersey. Honorees are selected for their commitment to VLJ’s mission. Click to see who we’re honoring this year!
VLJ contributed to a recent report on the challenges of the recovery process after Superstorm Sandy. The report, “The Long Road Home,” analyzed the results of a survey taken by over 500 Sandy survivors found that 22% of respondents were still out of their homes at the time of the survey; that 77% of respondents either did not have enough money to finish rebuilding their homes; and that more than 70% of respondents had developed new physical or mental health problems or a worsening of pre-existing health conditions since Sandy.
One of VLJ's newest clinics was featured on NJ.com this week! At the Veterans Legal Wellness Clinic, legal teams from BASF and Panasonic USA provide legal support to veterans who otherwise might not have had access to legal services.
There are 40,000 evictions filed in Essex County alone – the most in the state. VLJ helps low-income tenants facing eviction through a monthly legal clinic at the courthouse in partnership with Prudential and Lowenstein Sandler. Learn why tenants face an uphill battle in this WNYC piece featuring our clinic: http://www.wnyc.org/story/why-tenants-lose-against-lanlords-newark.
