VLJ In the News

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VLJ's Summer Soiree Raises $35,000

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Augustine Ahiabor

Bershad Communications Fellow
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 233-5724

Email: aahiabor@vljnj.org

 

Cathy Keenan

Executive Director
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
(973) 645-1951, ext.101

Email: ckeenan@vljnj.org

 

Newark, NJ, June 25, 2021 — Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is pleased to share that on June 23rd, the organization held its annual Summer Soiree. After shifting to a completely virtual service model last year, the Summer Soiree was VLJ’s first in-person event since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 100 attorneys and friends gathered to celebrate VLJ’s work to provide free legal services to those in need and to raise over $35,000 for the organization.

Hosted by the Generation Now Committee, VLJ’s young professionals board, the event featured speeches from VLJ’s Executive Director Cathy Keenan and sponsor Stacey Slater of Pro Bono Strategies. Stefanie, a former VLJ client, also shared her story: Her neurodivergent son’s needs were not being met in a virtual setting, and he was falling behind in school. VLJ took her case and connected her with volunteer attorney Robyn Wapner, who donated over 120 hours to help Stefanie and reach a favorable outcome for her son. Stefanie encouraged the attorneys present to volunteer with VLJ, saying, “I do hope that many of you join VLJ’s notable mission and vision; it really is a life changing organization.”

Michael Griffinger, an Emeritus Board Member at VLJ and Partner at Gibbons, P.C. hosted the organization at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell. VLJ’s Development Director Jaclyn Kramer says, “We are so grateful to Michael for his years of dedicated commitment to VLJ. Not only did he help co-found the organization 20 years ago, but he has been an ardent supporter of legal aid and VLJ since – donating his time, talent, and treasure to ensure that our organization can help as many people as possible.”

VLJ gives special thanks to our title sponsor, Pro Bono Strategies; our underwriters David Bershad and Michael Griffinger; and our sponsors: AT&T; Counsel Press; Duane Morris; George Holland; McCarter & English; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio; Prudential, RBC Wealth Management, and Veritext. 

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About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
VLJ is an award-winning, comprehensive legal services program based in Newark, NJ, with a statewide reach. VLJ's mission is to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged and at-risk adults, children, and families in New Jersey by empowering them with the tools, advice, and pro bono representation to obtain fair and equal treatment within the legal system. The Newark-based organization ensures fair access to the legal system through partnerships with corporations and hundreds of volunteer attorneys. Each year, VLJ’s work impacts more than 3,600 people—including veterans, children, tenants, families, and victims of human trafficking—through 10 pro bono programs. To learn more, please visit www.vljnj.org.

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Op-Ed: Fix landlord-tenant courts before eviction moratorium ends

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Op-Ed: Fix landlord-tenant courts before eviction moratorium ends

Across the country, COVID-19 highlighted long-standing systemic challenges that left many families even more vulnerable in the aftermath of the pandemic. In New Jersey, this was especially true for the state’s eviction process. As an overwhelming number of pending evictions continues to accumulate, the New Jersey Supreme Court has an opportunity to consider changes in landlord-tenant court procedures to make the eviction process fairer for both landlords and tenants, and especially those who do not have attorneys to assist them.

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VLJ Welcomes Augustine Joseph Ahiabor as the Bershad Communications Fellow

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Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is excited to announce that Augustine Joseph Ahiabor has been selected as the Bershad Communications Fellow. Funded through the generosity of long-time Board Member David Bershad and his wife, Mindy Cohen, the fellowship was created to enable VLJ to enhance its public profile as the organization celebrates its 20th year anniversary.

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BlackRock donates generous gift to VLJ

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Newark, NJ (March 10, 2021) — Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is pleased to announce it has received an unrestricted $25,000 grant from BlackRock in support of our legal programs.

VLJ provides free legal services to New Jersey residents living at or below the poverty level. Our clients face seemingly insurmountable civil legal issues and cannot afford lawyers, but VLJ provides education, counseling, advice, and direct legal services. In 2020, VLJ quickly shifted to providing free virtual legal services and also focused on educating the community and potential volunteers. VLJ served 1,080 clients and their families, impacting 2,525 people.

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VLJ announces a gift from David Bershad

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Newark, NJ – March 2, 2021 – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is excited to announce the creation of the Bershad Communications Fellowship. Funded through the generosity of long-time Board Member David Bershad and his wife, Mindy Cohen, the fellowship will enable VLJ to enhance its public profile as the organization celebrates its 20th year anniversary.

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VLJ's 20th Anniversary

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Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is excited to celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary! VLJ was founded in 2001 as a program of the Legal Services Foundation to provide direct legal representation to residents of Essex County, New Jersey. The program began with a core group of 30 volunteer attorneys and was led by Karen Sacks, who in her 15 years as VLJ’s executive director transformed the program into a statewide pro bono leader. In 2008, VLJ separately incorporated as its own 501(c)(3) New Jersey not-for-profit corporation.

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VLJ Receives a Generous Donation from Amazon

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Newark, NJ – January 26, 2021 – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is excited to announce that it has received a generous donation from Amazon at the suggestion of its volunteer partner Audible, an Amazon company. VLJ, which is headquartered in Newark, provides free civil legal services for New Jersey residents living at or below the poverty level through in-house lawyers and pro bono lawyers throughout the legal community. VLJ has partnered with Audible’s legal department, also based in Newark, who provide pro bono legal services to client populations in dire need of help. With this unexpected support from Amazon, VLJ will be able to continue to change lives through legal assistance, especially for those who have suffered disproportionately as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Experts Fear Coming 'Tsunami' of Evictions

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“There’s so much talk right now about how Covid is causing an eviction crisis,” Kitson says. “And the reality is that we have had a significant eviction crisis in this country—and certainly in the state—for quite some time. What Covid is doing is worsening it at an alarmingly rapid rate and also shining a light on the many ways in which so many renters in New Jersey were very vulnerable to begin with.”

New Mediation Program for Landlords and Tenants, Emergency Aid to Renters, to be Provided by Housing Initiatives of Princeton

Retired judge Philip Carchman helped [Housing Initiatives of Princeton] develop a mediation program run by volunteers that will bring landlords and tenants together to negotiate payment amounts and timelines. Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is working to help get lawyers to serve as advocates for tenants.

N.J. must ban ‘the tenant blacklist’ | Editorial

Few people realize that even if you win a court case against your landlord, its very existence will continue to haunt you. It could be that you didn’t pay rent for legitimate reasons, like having no heat or water. But tenants are still getting blackballed from future rentals, as if even asserting your rights against a landlord is offensive.

“It’s wildly unfair,” Jessica Kitson of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice says. “We have clients living without heat, without hot water. They can’t find a new place. They have an eviction filing on their record that is being used against them.”

Should NJ eviction records be kept private if a tenant wasn't evicted? Housing experts say yes

The proposed court rule amendments are a good first step, but a few tweaks could be made, housing groups and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice said in a letter to the court.

New Jersey Braces for Rent Due When Health Emergency Ends

The first of the month means rent is due, but thousands of residents are still struggling to pay their bills. Under a state moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 public-health crisis, renters can’t be kicked out of their homes, even if they miss a payment. But what happens when that rule expires? Will families find help if landlords don’t follow the rules?

On Giving Tuesday, Don’t Forget Your Own Neighbors

Landlords aren’t getting the money they need. The eviction cases they file are likely to number in the hundreds of thousands, advocates predict. Think about the human toll of evicting that many people, all at once.

“It’s going to be a disaster, quite honestly,” says [Cathy] Keenan of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice.

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As Housing Crisis Looms, a Call to Action for NJ’s Legal Community

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NJ Lawyers---We Need Your Help Now!

VLJ’s Executive Director, Cathy Keenan, penned this op-ed with New Jersey First Lady, Tammy Murphy, as a call to action to lawyers across the state to volunteer and help address the looming eviction crisis.

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Supports New Jersey Tenants During COVID-19 Housing Crisis

Cathy Keenan, Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), joined TAPintoTV’s Brian Brodeur to discuss the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund's Housing Stability Project Grant.

Keenan described the work of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), which was established after the COVID-19 pandemic, and which has raised over $37 million from over 60,000 donors to address the economic and human crisis that New Jersey has experienced.

New Jersey State Bar Association Honors Gibbons Director Michael Griffinger with Lifetime Pro Bono Achievement Award

Michael R. Griffinger, a Director in the Commercial & Criminal Litigation Department at Gibbons P.C., has been honored with a Lifetime Pro Bono Achievement Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Pro Bono Committee. Honorees, including Mr. Griffinger, were celebrated during a virtual ceremony on October 27.

Housing and Community Development Network of NJ Enlisted to Provide Help as Housing Crisis Deepens

The Housing Stability Project Grant from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), will allow the network to provide residents with access to housing counseling and legal assistance if needed. The network partners with organizations, such as Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, which provides comprehensive legal services to economically-disadvantaged adults, children and families in the state.

New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund’s Housing Stability Project to assist renters facing eviction as a result of the COVID-19 crisis

Newark, NJ – September 17, 2020 – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), a New Jersey legal services organization, has received a $465,000 grant through the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund’s Housing Stability Project to assist renters facing eviction as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

In Memory of Mark Daniel

In Memory of Mark Daniel

This week VLJ lost a true champion of pro bono work. Mark Daniel, former VLJ Trustee, donor, and volunteer, died on September 29, 2020. He leaves behind not only a loving family, but also a true legacy in the New Jersey and national pro bono community for his tireless dedication to serving the unmet legal needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. VLJ had a long-standing partnership with Mark, a visionary leader who understood the transformative power of pro bono work.

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September 2020 Volunteer of the Month: Eric Weinstock

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VLJ is pleased to recognize Eric Weinstock from Lowenstein Sandler LLP as our September Volunteer of the Month. Eric is Senior Counsel whose practice focuses on counseling clients in the development and implementation of their estate plans, including tax and non-tax issues. Additionally, he counsels fiduciaries in the administration of estates and trusts, and works with clients on the formation and management of charitable organizations.