Tenancy Program - Volunteer Resources

Thank you for volunteering with VLJ’s Tenancy Program — Tenant Advisory Clinic!
The resources below are meant to provide information and support to you while you volunteer with our virtual legal clinic.

THINGS TO KNOW!

• VLJ utilizes the Zoom platform for virtual legal clinics, including the Breakout Room feature for individual client-attorney meetings

• This is a virtual drop-in clinic, meaning tenants facing eviction self-register online for an upcoming clinic date.
  Some clinics will be jam-packed, and others may be slower. Upon arrival, VLJ staff screen tenants to confirm eligibility (for free services for VLJ and clinic parameters), before clients are placed in a breakout room with volunteers.

• First-time volunteer must watch VLJ’s training video prior to their first clinic

• To be eligible to meet with volunteer attorney(s), tenants must:

  • Qualify for VLJ’s financial guidelines

  • Be an Essex County tenant

  • Have been served an eviction complaint (has a docket #), and is awaiting trial

• Most volunteers will be placed in teams; all first time clinic volunteers will shadow an experienced clinic volunteer

• Attorney and non-attorney volunteers can participate in this clinic:

  • Non-attorneys either join attorney teams to help complete paperwork or meet with clients 1:1 to help with info collection/doc completion before the client joins their attorney team

  • VLJ works to schedule interpreters for clinics when we have non-English speaking clients on the schedule

• Teams will meet with 2-3 clients during each clinic

• The following must be completed with each clinic client:

  1. LIMITED-SCOPE RETAINER AGREEMENT: Review with client at the start of the appointment and obtain verbal consent.

  2. GUIDED TENANT INTERVIEW: Questionnaires are emailed during the clinic once volunteer teams and clients are confirmed. Be sure to check you Spam folder in case VLJ’s email was routed there.

• Completed form will be automatically submitted to VLJ / VLJ’s case management system, LegalServer.

  • Should you gather additional information or documents regarding a client, send an email to Staff Attorney Margo Rosenberg (mrosenberg@vljnj.org) and Law Clerk Adaneka Witter Judge (ajudge@vljnj.org).

clinic Forms

limited scope agreement

Review agreement with each client & obtain verbal consent.

identifying common defenses guide

search case in ecourts

E-Courts

Everyone should get comfortable using e-Courts, as that is the best resource for you to get the most recent information/documents on clients’ court cases.  If you do not already have an e-Courts account set up, you can also access it with the following steps:

1. Go to https://portal.njcourts.gov/webcivilcj/CIVILCaseJacketWeb/pages/publicAccessDisclaimer.faces

2. Review the “Disclaimer” and click on the box to confirm that “I’m not a robot”. Click “Agree”.

3. Select “Special Civil Part” from the dropdown next to Search for Case.

4. Search using docket number or client name.

additional resources

Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS)

JEDS is a new electronic drop box system created by the NJ Judiciary for self-represented litigants submitting documents or for attorneys submitting documents in cases not managed through e-Courts.  Litigants should be counseled to set up their own account (if applicable to their case, i.e., they need to file something with the court). 

Judiciary’s electronic document submission (JEDS) - https://www.njcourts.gov/selfhelp/jeds.html

VLJ has created a client-friendly guide for pro se litigants to reference for assistance in creating their own JEDS account and a FAQ,  HERE. Please feel free to save a copy and send it to clients if needed.

training video

Whether this is your first time volunteering with VLJ’s Tenant Advisory Clinic or it’s been a while, below are relevant training videos we recommend.

ADVISING TENANTS FACING EVICTION: AN INTRODUCTION FOR PRO BONO ATTORNEYS
A high level overview (1.5hr)