VLJ’s mission is to ensure access to justice for people experiencing poverty. In 2023, VLJ’s work impacted over 4,200 people—including 1,644 children—and OUR volunteer attorneys donated nearly $2 million in free legal services.
What's New at VLJ
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Executive Director Cathy Keenan talks with Comcast Newsmakers host Candace Kelley about mobilizing private practice attorneys from across New Jersey to volunteer to support vulnerable populations and people who really need to have their voice amplified or heard in the legal system. Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Executive Director Cathy Keenan talks with Comcast Newsmakers host Candace Kelley about mobilizing private practice attorneys from across New Jersey to volunteer to support vulnerable populations and people who really need to have their voice amplified or heard in the legal system.
On April 18, 2024, for Financial Institution Pro Bono Day, volunteers from Duane Morris LLP and TD Bank joined Volunteer Lawyers for Justice for an e-filing criminal record expungement clinic. Not only was it a great day to harness the power of pro bono, it was a great day for a client of VLJ’s ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) Program who successfully e-filed their expungement petition thanks to volunteers Jennifer Polovetsky and Lynne Evans from Duane Morris and Lisa DeLessio and Peter Pai from TD Bank.
With an unwavering commitment to ensuring access to justice, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice’s May 2024 Volunteer of the Month exemplifies the transformative impact of compassionate pro bono. This month, VLJ honors and celebrates Ellen Schwartz for her years of taking cases and changing lives.