2022 Annual Report - Volunteer Lawyers for Justice

2022 Annual REPORT

Powered by People and Pro Bono Staff and Stats

1,960 Cases Handled

Erin Berman, Staff Attorney

Alexandra Bravo, Staff Attorney

Nina DePalma, Staff Attorney

Daniela Geraldo, Staff Attorney

Katiana Guerrier, Legal Assistant

Adelina Herrarte, Senior Staff Attorney

Eric W. Hughes, Bershad Communications Manager

Eilleen Ingram-Willis, Managing Attorney

Margo Katz Rosenberg, Staff Attorney

Cathy Keenan, Executive Director

Deja Kemp-Salliey, Development Associate

Jessica Kitson, Director of Legal Advocacy

Jaclyn Kramer, Development Director

Tracy Nelson, Director of Finance

Allison Nolan, Senior Staff Attorney

Carmen Obando, Legal Assistant

Abigail Oliver, Legal Assistant

Diana Onuschak, Director of Administration & Community Engagement

Karen Robinson, Managing Attorney

Jeff Stephens, Senior Staff Attorney

4,561 People Impacted

81% BIPOC-Identifying Clients

6,634 Hours Volunteered

$2.4 million Value of Donated Services

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

Since the very start of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), partnership has been a core principle as we work to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty. In VLJ’s second decade, partnership remains a necessary element of addressing unmet civil legal needs in New Jersey. In 2022, the global impact of COVID-19, inflation, and the war in the Ukraine put significant economic pressure on families’ pocketbooks and led to increased demand for legal services. Thankfully, due to VLJ’s innovative partnerships with law firms, corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, and community members across the state, we expanded our reach, leveraged finite resources, and drove broader systems change.

In 2022, VLJ handled 1,960 cases, a 26% increase from 2021 and an 81% increase from 2020! Illustrating the ripple effect of VLJ's services, our work impacted 4,561 people, including 1,714 children. Those 4,561 people are more than numbers; they are families who remained in their homes, found new employment, and obtained financial fresh starts because of the legal help they received While VLJ has an extremely talented staff, the 21 of us would have been unable to serve everyone without the 568 committed volunteers who donated over $2.4 million in free legal services.

There are additional alliances that amplify our work: McCarter & English, LLP provides VLJ with office space, and 9Sail donated in-kind services to improve VLJ’s website and communications efforts, enabling us to focus our resources on supporting a best-in-class staff as they provide best-in-class legal assistance to community members experiencing poverty. As there is greater power in collective voices, VLJ works in coalition with legal and social services organizations across the state to effectuate systemic change.

Collaboration and partnership are in VLJ’s DNA, and the results are real for our clients. “Janine” was assisted by volunteers through VLJ’s ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) program, and her criminal record, which was not reflective of who she is today, was expunged. With the barrier of her record removed, Janine worked her way through nursing school, passed the background check required to work at a hospital, and tripled her income.

We hope this annual report makes you think about the long-reaching impact of pro bono legal assistance and inspires you to remove barriers for our clients Together, let’s ensure access to justice for more clients like Janine in the year ahead.

CATHY KEENAN Executive Director

TRICIA O’REILLY Chair, VLJ Board of Trustees

A welcome letter from VLJ's Executive Director and Board Chair

PROTECTING TENANTS IN NEW JERSEY FROM HOMELESSNESS

"Rose" is the primary caretaker for her two grandchildren When Rose lost her job, she fell behind on rent Her landlord filed an eviction case, which remained open even after Rose paid off the rent balance by working two jobs It took a VLJ lawyer demanding the case be dismissed for the landlord to acquiesce Not only did Rose feel empowered having help, she also learned how to better protect her rights in the future

Rose’s case is just one example of the 960 eviction cases VLJ staff and volunteers handled in 2022 The increase in requests for eviction defense have been staggering: the number of tenancy cases at VLJ almost doubled from 2021 and grew by 817% since 2020! 2022 also saw a return to in-person proceedings that benefitted some tenants who struggled with technology, but was an added challenge for many tenants who work full time or experience mobility issues Duplicate filings and landlords being slow to dismiss cases, when they no longer had a legal right to evict, contributed to the lingering years-long backlog of cases in some parts of the state.

While the courts made laudable steps in 2021 toward a fairer process, some of the reforms remain unrealized. The new case management conferences, meant to facilitate sharing information and make sure deficient complaints don’t move forward, are often too cursory and involve hours-long waits.

Realizing the enormity of the post-pandemic eviction crisis, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) worked to transform the way tenants interact with the court and the legal help they are able to access. VLJ was proud to serve as one of the legal services providers in DCA’s Access to Counsel Pilot Program and was paired with Catholic Charities to connect tenants with other resources such as rental assistance. As the DCA pilot program and larger access to counsel discussions continue, VLJ remains optimistic that New Jersey will make strides toward justice in landlord-tenant court, ensuring that no tenant feels alone or is unjustly evicted.

In 2022, 56% of all VLJ cases involved housing and eviction defense

"It was hard because there's all of these other things happening with my granddaughter, things piling up. The attorneys were really nice and were exceptional. I felt at ease. I didn't feel like I was alone."

A client of VLJ' s Tenancy Program

A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY COLLABORATION UNLOCKING THE

FULL POTENTIAL OF NEWARK’S SOUTH WARD

Imagine a program where social service organizations and schools come together to provide wraparound services to children and families in a particular community. Do you think it could decrease absenteeism in school? Impact high school graduation rates? Improve children’s health?

That is exactly what the South Ward Promise Neighborhood (SWPN) does. 2022 marked the fifth year of an innovative grant from the US Department of Education in Newark’s South Ward. The SWPN brings together over 25 organizations and schools working together to create brighter outcomes for children from before birth to career.

VLJ is the legal services provider in the SWPN, providing holistic services for families. For example, a child may face trouble in school because the family had their utilities shut off. Not only can VLJ help that family with the consumer debt issue, we dig deeper to discover that a criminal record is holding the parent back from their full earning potential, working to expunge that record to set the family up for greater stability.

An enormous benefit of the SWPN is that VLJ staff can make effective referrals to supportive services including child care, healthcare, college and career development programs, and more.

One SWPN organization VLJ partners with is the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition (GNHCC). GNHCC works to collaboratively improve systems and community and individual conditions for optimal health and well-being. VLJ and GNHCC work together on a committee that tackles community-wide challenges impacting the physical, mental, and behavioral health of South Ward families, thereby empowering clients and disrupting systems that keep South Ward families in poverty.

“Justice means loving your neighbor, and involves healing the hurting and confronting those who inflict hurt.”

- Keri Logosso-Misurell, Executive Director of GNHCC

Pictured: VLJ's Eilleen Ingram-Willis (Managing Attorney) and Abigail Oliver (Legal Assistant)

A PARTNERSHIP ON THE MOVE: MAKE THE ROAD NEW JERSEY

The power of partnerships is profoundly apparent in the work VLJ does in collaboration with other non-profit organizations. Whether it is working with the Sanar Institute to ensure survivors of human trafficking have the services they need, Newark Community Solutions to tackle housing instability in Essex County, or Community Hope and Catholic Charities to assist veterans, VLJ understands that our clients are best served when we work together with organizations on the ground in the communities we serve

The impact of these relationships can be seen in the partnership VLJ has with Make the Road New Jersey (MTRNJ). Five years ago, the collaboration began as a shared commitment to serving survivors of human trafficking. More recently, we have worked on other legal matters, including consumer debt, driver’s license restoration, and family law. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, MTRNJ became a critical partner working with VLJ to tackle the eviction crisis.

Lauren Herman, MTRNJ’s Legal Director, has cocounseled with VLJ attorneys on a number of immigration filings, and our teams have fought side-by-side to ensure that survivor-clients receive all the benefits and services to which they are entitled. When “Carla," a mutual client, was approved for a T Visa in 2022, it was a result of years of work by both VLJ and MTRNJ. Lauren also serves as an immigration law mentor to VLJ staff, increasing capacity in an underserved area of law.

When it comes to ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty, “Teamwork makes the justice dream work.” To all our partners, thank you for walking alongside us on the road to justice.

“We are deeply grateful for our ongoing partnership with VLJ. Our clients’ legal needs are often complex and varied. Through our work with our partners at VLJ, we have been able to greatly expand our capacity and ensure that our community is able to access the holistic wraparound legal services that they need for so many of the problems they face.”

Lauren

Herman, Legal Director, MTRNJ

POWERED BY PRO BONO

Maritza Rodríguez is guided by her history. As a child of immigrants living in a large city, Maritza knows the lifechanging power of community. As the principal attorney at Rodríguez Law LLC, Maritza is drawn to give back; she has served as an exceptional volunteer at VLJ for 10 years in an area of high unmet need.

Maritza’s journey with VLJ began in 2013 when she started volunteering with VLJ’s Divorce Program. Fluent in Spanish, Maritza was a key volunteer for clients with limited English proficiency. She volunteered frequently and always answered the call when VLJ had more complex family law clients who needed help. Recognizing Maritza’s dedication to pro bono volunteerism and people experiencing poverty, she was appointed to VLJ’s Board of Trustees in June 2021.

Maritza's pro bono efforts are more than numbers; she takes the time each client needs to help them truly understand their rights. Maritza’s passion for giving back extends to raising the bar on the legal profession, most notably through coaching lawyers and students on well-being and professional development as Co-Chair of the NJSBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee, teaching as an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School, and serving on the board of the Rutgers Law SchoolNewark Alumni Association. Maritza also supports international organizations like Aid Across Borders, an organization that works with attorneys to provide legal aid in high conflict areas.

Knowing that more pro bono attorneys are always needed, Maritza regularly encourages attorneys: “Come try it out. It is an amazing opportunity. If you volunteer with VLJ, you will always have support. It is not an overwhelming environment. Once you sit down with a client and see the difference you can make, you are going to quickly get over any fear you may have had.”

At VLJ, the power of pro bono is harnessed by volunteers like Maritza.

“When you see the way ‘good’ helps, it is a reminder that this work is needed and worthwhile. Doing good fills your cup back up. ”

Maritza Rodríguez, Rodríguez Law LLC

ADVANCING SOCIAL, RACIAL, AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Bianka Barraza Lowenstein Sandler

Georgia Bender McCarter & English, LLP

Nydia Benders Prudential Financial, Inc

Maxwell Berteletti Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Lenore Boyarin Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler

William D. Brown Jr. McCarter & English, LLP

Deirdre Burke McCarter & English, LLP

Jason Scott Camilo Law Offices of Jason Scott Camilo

Jamie Campisi

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Eric Chafetz

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Diane Claussen Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Aaron Cohen Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Arminio, PC

Amara Conteh

Nomi Conway

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

James Corcoran Gibbons P C

David Cornell Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Nicole Corona McCarter & English, LLP

Salvatore P. D'Alia McCarter & English, LLP

Daniel D'Alessandro McCarter & English, LLP

Leigh DeCotiis Gibbons P.C.

Sneha Desai Stryker

Melissa Desperak Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Paul C. Dritsas McCarter & English, LLP

Clement Farley McCarter & English, LLP

Jack Feinstein

Allie Fellows Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Daniela Geraldo Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Francis M. Giantomasi Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

David Giles Law Office of David Giles

Staci Greenwald Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler

David Herman Dechert LLP

Christina Holder Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Jason Holt

Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

Carlo Ingato DLA Piper

Nuo Jiang Capehart & Scatchard, P.A.

Matthew Jokajtys PSEG

Natalie Kraner Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Michelle Krone Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Arminio, PC

Elizabeth Lawler Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Joseph Lubertazzi McCarter & English, LLP

Geoffrey E. Lynott McCarter & English, LLP

Robert Marino Gibbons P.C.

Joann Mazur Kielblock Prudential Financial, Inc

William McInerney

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

“We’re all just human beings trying to live the best life we can with the tools we have. Our job as volunteers is to help clients get to that plateau where they feel they’re living their highest and best life.”

VLJ was powered by volunteers in 2022, and we are grateful to the 558 volunteers who donated their time and talent to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty. We give special recognition to the volunteers below who reported 25 or more hours of service.

LLP

Jason Holt, a VLJ Volunteer with Chiesa Shaninian & Giantomasi PC

Roxana Mondragon-Motta WSGR

Teresa Moore Riker Danzig LLP

Ava M. Munson

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Jordan Nelson Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Megan Nigro McCarter & English, LLP

Tonia Ouellette Klausner Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Praatika Prasad Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Melissa J. Reilly McCarter & English, LLP

Geoffrey N. Rosamond McCarter & English, LLP

Daniel M. Schwartz McCarter & English, LLP

Scott D. Sherman

Minion & Sherman

Shail S. Sheth

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

John Simeone McCarter & English, LLP

Stacy Slater Pro Bono Strategies

Michelle K. Smith McCarter & English, LLP

Darren Smolarski McCarter & English, LLP

Penelope M. Taylor McCarter & English, LLP

Denise Verzella Manes & Weinberg

Keara Waldron Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Matthew G. Wapner McCarter & English, LLP

Steven H. Weisman McCarter & English, LLP

Catherine Weiss Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Danielle Weslock McCarter & English, LLP

Megan Williams Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Simone Wilson-Brito McCarter & English, LLP

Matthew A. Windman McCarter & English, LLP

Nora E. Wolf Gibbons P.C.

Amy Woltman Prudential Financial, Inc

Remembering Lamouria Boyd, Esq.

November 28, 1961July 21, 2022

Interested in volunteering with VLJ? Learn more at tinyurl.com/VolunteerWithVLJ

Lamouria began her pro bono journey with VLJ's Divorce Program in 2018, using her solo law experience to advocate for

Lamouria was a dedicated volunteer, frequently helping self-represented clients with divorce issues Lamouria was a true champion of justice, and she will be dearly missed

Pictured: Jennifer Eppensteiner (volunteer), Suemyra Shah (volunteer), Alexandra Bravo (VLJ Staff Attorney), William McInerney (volunteer), Melissa Geist (volunteer), and Karen Robinson (VLJ Managing Attorney)

families in Essex County experiencing poverty.

INVESTING IN PRO BONO

While VLJ’s services to its clients are free, it takes financial support to provide quality pro bono legal services. VLJ benefits from the generosity of many types of supporters; one of those supporters we want to highlight is Columbia Bank, whose support has been pivotal to ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty.

Guided by a mission to serve the community and support local charitable causes, Columbia Bank strives to make a difference in people’s lives and make local communities better, stronger, and safer. Whether supporting affordable housing, community investment and economic development, food security, or civil legal services, Columbia Bank’s impact is seen and felt, both by the organizations it supports and by its employees. Through Columbia Bank’s formal volunteering program “Team Columbia” nearly 100% of employees volunteer each year. Additionally, Columbia Bank hosts an annual “Week of Giving" during which employees donated over 3,000 hours of time to non-profits in 2022.

Columbia Bank’s passionate culture of volunteerism and support of local communities makes them a natural partner for VLJ. In fact, they often serve the same communities as VLJ.

“Through our support of VLJ we are working to ensure that future generations have a stable and prosperous future. We’re proud to support those experiencing poverty and admire the work VLJ does to ensure that people can effectively access our judicial system.”

Matthew Clements, SVP-Head of Retail Sales and Product, Columbia Bank and VLJ Board Trustee

Since 2020, Columbia Bank has donated $16,500 to VLJ. Their support means VLJ continues to help more tenants facing eviction, more survivors of human trafficking, and more veterans. Columbia Bank’s tag line is “Count on Columbia,” and VLJ is immensely grateful we can count on them not just as financial supporters, but as partners working together to make New Jersey a more just place to live and work

Pictured: Columbia Bank team at VLJ's 2022 golf outing, The Long Drive for Justice Matthew Clements, a VLJ board trustee, is second from the right

DONORS & SUPPORTERS

$100,000+

David Bershad and Mindy Cohen**

McCarter & English, LLP**

Merck & Co.**

New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund*

South Ward Promise Neighborhood*

State of New Jersey

Department of Community Affairs

Office of the Attorney General*

Tepper Foundation

$25,000-$99,999

AT&T**

BASF Corporation**

Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C.**

The IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey**

Lowenstein Sandler LLP**

Panasonic Corporation of North America**

Prudential Financial**

PSEG Foundation**

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Williams & Connolly LLP

Karen B. Sacks Lifetime Giving Society

Named in honor of VLJ's founding executive director, the society recognizes individuals who donated a cumulative $10,000 or more to VLJ.

Thank you for your generosity!

David Bershad and Mindy Cohen

Susan Bershad

Donald Cussen

Mark and Yvonne Daniel

Joseph DiPrima

Marguerite Greenfield

Michael and Jane Griffinger

Naomi Grobstein

Mala Ahuja Harker

Mary Hartnett & Richard Cino

Nicholas Insua

Orin Kramer

William Krovatin

Judith McCarthy

Howard and Peggy Menaker

Edward and Pamela Moed

Notaboat Fund

April Pish

Tricia and John O'Reilly

Karen and Eric Sacks

Erik Sandstedt

Eric Schwimmer and Alyce Gottesman

Jeffrey and Beth Shapiro

John and Elizabeth Wellschlager

$10,000-$24,999

American College of Bankruptcy Foundation**

Audible, Inc.*

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Columbia Bank*

Covington & Burling LLP

Dentons US LLP**

DLA Piper**

Eisai, Inc *

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP*

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Gibbons P C

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher*

Hogan Lovells US, LLP

Impact100 Essex

Jones Day

Kirkland & Ellis LLP**

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius*

Notaboat Fund**

Paul Hastings

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP**

Pfizer*

RBC Foundation*

Eric Schwimmer and Alyce Gottesman**

Seyfarth Shaw LLP*

Sidley Austin

T-Mobile

Turrell Fund**

Verizon Business Group*

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz*

Walsh Pizzi O'Reilly Falanga**

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP**

WilmerHale*

Winston & Strawn LLP*

$5,000-$9,999

9Sail

AAML Foundation*

Baker McKenzie

Pictured:VLJ'sAdelinaHerrarte(SeniorStaff Attorney)andCarolynN Daly(President,NJ ChapteroftheAmericanAcademyof MatrimonialLawyers)

Catholic Family and Community Services

Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC**

City of Newark

Cleary Gottlieb

Consilio, LLC*

DONORS & SUPPORTERS CONTINUED

$5,000-$9,999 cont.

Donald Cussen**

d'Arcambal Ousley & Cuyler Burk*

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP*

Dechert LLP

Joseph DiPrima**

doeLEGAL*

Fisher Phillips*

Fox Rothschild LLP

Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP*

Gann Law Books*

Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP

Joseph Gordon

Michael and Jane Griffinger**

Mala Ahuja Harker*

The Hyde & Watson Foundation

Nicholas Insua**

King & Spalding LLP**

Leader Berkon Colao & Silverstein LLP**

Littleton Park Joyce Ughetta & Kelly LLP**

McClure Harrison

McGuireWoods LLP*

Montclair Fund for Women

NJM Insurance Group**

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP*

Pro Bono Strategies

Richmond M. Rabinowitz*

RBC Wealth Management*

Venable LLP

Wong Fleming*

$2,500-$4,999

Barnes, Richardson & Coburn Deloitte*

Peter DiNunzio

Michael Patrick Hindley

Keri and Matthew Holian

Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore LLC*

Jeremy Knapp

LITeGATION

Judith McCarthy*

George Patrick McDonald*

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP

William McInerney

Howard and Peggy Menaker**

MultiState

Tricia and John O'Reilly**

David J Piano

Jennifer Prioleau*

Beth and Jeffrey Shapiro*

John and Elizabeth Wellschlager*

Westbrook Foundation*

Wiley Rein LLP

$1,000-$2,499

Andrew and Froma Benerofe

William and Bleema Bershad**

Lisa Boccassini

Scott Bornstein

Brach Eichler LLC

Peter Chapman*

Community Hope, Inc

Angela Coxe**

Elizabeth and Paul Daugherty

Sneha and Anand Desai**

Duane Morris LLP

Sharon R. Flanagan

Freedom Network*

Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis

Marc Haefner*

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company**

Mark D Hopson

Michael Hyun*

Michelle Johnson-Lewis

Paul E Kalb

Kean Miller*

Cathy Keenan and John Larson**

Tonia Klausner

William Krovatin**

Jeffrey P. Kushan

Adam Kushner*

Debra E. Levin*

Thanassis and Helen Mazarakis*

Paul Michaels and Sandra Chamberlin

Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P C **

PayPal

Peapack-Gladstone Bank

Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Arminio, PC

Maritza Rodríguez

Karen and Eric Sacks

Saiber LLC**

Laura Schaffer

Jarrett Schindler

Willard and Eunhee Shih

Ronnie Stern*

Emily Stilley

Kaitlyn E. Stone**

Veritext**

Stephen C. Weingarten*

Melissa Wernick

George Whipple

$250-$999

Jennifer Adams

Nestor Almeida

Michael Archibald

Colm Atkins*

Libuse Bajgerova

Michael Baldassare

Becker, Attorneys at Law*

Libby Bernier-Spiess

Bevan, Mosca & Giuditta, P C

Lori Borgen*

Christopher Buck

Naim Bulbulia

Kenneth Cerullo

Matthew Clements

Matthew Coleman

Anne Collart*

Kevin Collins*

Cooperman Family Foundation*

Christina Corea

Katherine Anne Daniel

Ryan Daniel**

Day Pitney LLP

Michael J. DePalma

Laura DiTommaso

Tom Esposito

Kate Estler*

Stephanie Feingold*

Wendy Feldman

Paul Fishman

Catherine Fitch

Sherri Foley

Andrew Frey

Jill and Jeffrey Friedman

John Gibson

Kevin Gilmore

Carol Golden**

Guntin & Gust, PLC

Aaron Haier

Miriam Haier

Adam Hemlock

Kerrie Heslin

Consecutive Years of Giving

* indicates 3-5 years

** indicates 6 or more years

Ben Hochberg*

Jessica Hodkinson*

George M. Holland**

Charlotte Howells*

Kate Janukowicz

Candace Johnson*

Sylvia C Jones*

Emily Kaller

Ann Kappler

Anne Kassalow*

Daniel and Christine Keenan**

Bernard Keenan**

Suzanne Klar and Marc Brummer*

Jaclyn Kramer

Judith and Richard Kuskin

Christina LaBruno

Ellen Lambert

Mary Ellen Lenahan

Lentz & Gengaro**

Jessica Limbacher*

Abigail Luhn

Lum Drasco & Positan LLC**

Susan and Michael McGahan

Lucinda Mercer*

Frank Molfetta

Stanley Morris*

Network For Good

Darlene Newland

NJPAC

Michael Noveck

Arthur Owens

Nell Painter

Congressman Donald Payne

Jeff Perry*

Cassandra Porter

Ralph Preite**

Carol Quagliato

Denise Rabinowitz

Ellen Rader Smith*

Kevin Reich

Jeffrey Reinkraut

Scott Reisch

Renee Reso

Stephanie Ricardo-Leff

Meghan Rissmiller**

John and Karen Robinson**

Geoffrey Rosamond

Brad Rosenberg

Ned Rosenburg*

Lyn Rosensweig

Warren and Karen Ross

Lee Rovinescu*

Mark Rubin

Philip Salerno**

Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Ryan Savercool

Eve Schaenen

Magda Schaler-Haynes

Brian Schwartz*

Madeline and Jeff Simon*

Peter Slocum*

Diane K. Smith*

Michelle Kathryn Smith

Mary Snyder

Susan Sonneborn

Nathaniel St Clair

Samuel Stoia

Maria Sullivan

Support Center for Nonprofit Management

Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler

Kristin and Philip Taylor

Barine Tee

Timeless Treasures Fabrics of Soho LLC

John Todaro

John and Lynn Totaro*

Catherine Trinkle**

Kevin Weber

Alvin Weiss

Stephen Weissman

Carole White-Connor*

Aurielle Wilderman*

Michael Wilderman

Melissa Williams

Amy Woltman

Donald and Joan Zief

Michael Zogby

MONTHLY DONORS MONTHLY DONORS

The following donors committed $10+ a month, or $120+ a year, in 2022 toward our monthly giving campaign. Monthly and annual gifts help set VLJ on a path of sustainability, meaning we can promise to be there for our neighbors who need civil legal help. Thank you!

Nestor Almeida

Colm Atkins

Todd Bouverot

George Burroughs

Matthew Coleman

Michael DePalma

Kalea Edmundo

Michael Golden

Sue Carol Greene-Buckner

Jessica Hodkinson

Emily A Kaller

Cathy Keenan

Karen Leary

Debra Levin

Jessica Limbacher

Stella Lyubarsky

Andrea Maltese

Mo McCully Winograd

Mary McManus McElroy

Alice Mizsak

Virginia Morhardt

Diana Onuschak

Mary Pendergast

Magda Schaler-Haynes

Debra Schneider

Barbara Schweiger

Jeff Simon

Michelle Smith

Carole White-Connor

Amy Woltman

VLJ's committed donors ensure that VLJ is able to provide essential legal help throughout New Jersey

Free legal services are not free to coordinate and this group of supporters ensured that VLJ could train and support new volunteers, educate community members about their rights, and provide civil legal help to New Jerseyans who otherwise would not be able to afford an attorney

Thank you to all the donors who support VLJ's mission of ensuring access to justice for people experiencing poverty!

“I have had the privilege of a professional career. It is easy for us in our professional positions to ignore the struggles in the rest of the world and presume we got here through individual effort alone. VLJ aims to tilt the scale.”

Naomi Grobstein, Donor

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Tricia O’Reilly, Esq., Chair

Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP

Eric L. Schwimmer, Esq., Vice Chair Prudential Financial

Donald Cussen, Treasurer RBC Wealth Management

Jennifer Prioleau, Esq., Secretary B. Braun Medical Inc.

Matthew Clements Columbia Bank

Sneha Desai, Esq. BASF Corporation

Wendy Feldman, Esq. Zoetis

Catherine Fitch, Esq. Merck & Co , Inc

Joe Giovannoli 9Sail

Mala Ahuja Harker, Esq. Friedman Kaplan Seiler Adelman & Robbins LLP

Peter C. Harvey, Esq. Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Jessica Hodkinson, Esq. Panasonic Corporation North America

Michael Hyun, Esq. PSEG

Nicholas M. Insua, Esq. Reed Smith LLP

Cathy Keenan Volunteer Lawyers for Justice

Kelly Lloyd Lankford, Esq. Dentons US LLP

Judith McCarthy, Esq. Cheshire Law Group

Howard Menaker, Esq. (ret.)

2022 GENERATION NOW COMMITTEE

Charlotte Howells, Esq., Co-Chair Gibbons, P.C.

Brandon L. Wolff, Esq., Co-Chair

Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck

Caitlin Cascino, Esq.

Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP

Aaron Cohen, Esq. Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Arminio, PC

Aaron Haier, Esq. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Christina LaBruno, Esq. Gibbons, P.C.

Abigail Luhn, Esq. Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Adam Morsy, Esq. Duval & Stachenfeld LLP

Maritza Rodríguez, Esq. Rodríguez Law Firm, LLC

Geoffrey Rosamond, Esq. McCarter & English, LLP

Tracey Salmon-Smith, Esq. Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Jeffrey M. Shapiro, Esq. Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Kaitlyn E. Stone, Esq. Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Catherine Trinkle, Esq. BASF

Kevin Weber, Esq. Gibbons P C

Melissa Wernick, Esq. Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

Emeritus Trustees

David Bershad

Michael R. Griffinger, Esq.

Julia Palermo Esq. Gibbons, P.C.

Ryan Savercool, Esq. McCarter & English, LLP

Kristin Spallanzani, Esq.

Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP