Volunteer Lawyers for Justice Marks Decade of Service With Expansion of Programs

Jan. 26, 2011 - PRLog -- For Newark, N.J.-based Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), the ideal way to mark a decade of service to economically-disadvantaged individuals is with an expansion of its programs. The non-profit recently launched the Newark Legal Advice and Resource Clinic for Consumers (NLARCC), at which volunteer attorneys provide pro bono legal counsel and limited scope representation to self-represented debtors dealing with consumer-related legal issues. In 2010, VLJ also expanded its Newark Reentry Legal Services (ReLeSe), a program focused on helping low-income Essex County residents with criminal records address the civil legal barriers that serve as obstacles to their successful community reintegration.

"With the dedication of our volunteer attorneys and financial support of our donors, we continue to reach those at an economic disadvantage in the community and provide the legal services they often desperately need," said Karen Sacks, Esq., founding executive director of VLJ. "Already in 2011, we have learned of additional funding to operate NLARCC from Merck & Co., one of our key partners in the project as well as in the VLJ/Merck bankruptcy clinic. Also, we received support from the Fund for New Jersey to undertake a scientific evaluation of ReLeSe to determine how effectively it eliminates barriers to successful community reentry by ex-offenders and how it can be replicated."

Since its founding, VLJ has grown from a grass roots effort of 30 volunteer attorneys in Essex County to a state-wide not-for-profit with five staff attorneys and more than 1,500 volunteer attorneys aiding thousands of low-income clients each year. In November 2010, VLJ held the "10th Anniversary Arts & Eats for Justice Gala" to celebrate its first decade of operation and honor New Jersey's "Champions of Change." Funds raised benefited VLJ's wide range of programs from free legal counsel and advice to educational seminars to direct representation for at-risk individuals facing critical civil legal issues. Gala sponsors included McCarter & English, LLP; Merck & Co., Inc.; Gibbons P.C.; Lowenstein Sandler, PC; Pfizer Inc.; AT&T; Patton Boggs, LLP; PSE&G; and White & Case LLP.

Consumer Law Clinic Empowers Self-Represented Debtors
VLJ created NLARCC to combat the ever-increasing number of low-income debtors facing debt collection. The clinic is the result of an innovative public/private partnership between VLJ, the Essex Vicinage's Civil Division, the City of Newark and Newark Now, with participation from teams of volunteer attorneys from McCarter & English, LLP and Prudential Financial as well as volunteers from the legal departments of Merck & Co., Inc., and AT&T.

Through NLARCC, VLJ attorneys help under-served individuals address a wide range of consumer-related concerns. Those include law suits by creditors or debt collectors to recover alleged debts, credit report issues and discrepancies, garnishment of wages, harassing calls and letters on debts, and frozen bank accounts among others.

The Essex County Superior Court has generously offered to host the clinic, enabling debtors and their volunteer attorneys instant access to the documents they need through the court's electronic filing system. For more information about upcoming clinics, visit www.vljnj.org.

VLJ Expands ReLeSe in 2010 on Heels of State's Changes to Expungement Laws
In March 2010, New Jersey legislation went into effect amending longstanding regulations regarding what can be expunged and the waiting period that must expire before a petition to expunge can be filed. The new law makes third- and fourth-degree drug offenses expungeable and, when in the public interest, reduces the waiting period for the expungement of certain offenses from 10 years to 5 years.

ReLeSe volunteer attorneys work with clients on filing petitions for expungement, helping them to navigate the complex legal process. In addition, ReLeSe volunteer attorneys frequently assist clients with driver's license restoration, resolution of long out-standing municipal matters, and modification of child support issues.

"By helping a client restore his driver's license or filing a petition to expunge a conviction for a non-violent offense that has remained on his record for years, we often bring that client one step closer to finding meaningful employment," said Gina DeVito, Esq., managing attorney of ReLeSe. "Individuals interested in the ReLeSe program can call our office to learn more about the process and we will work with them to find a community referral partner."

Frequently recognized for its contributions to the community, VLJ received the "Community Builder Award" from the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice in 2008 and was the 2007 recipient of the New Jersey State Bar Association's "Annual Pro Bono Award." VLJ is an approved legal services provider of the New Jersey Supreme Court. This designation allows certain court costs and filing fees to be waived for VLJ's clients, enables VLJ volunteer attorneys to claim an exemption from mandatory pro bono assignments after 25 hours of voluntary service, and provides the opportunity for out-of-state attorneys to volunteer with the program.

# # #

About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ): Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) provides comprehensive legal services to economically-disadvantaged adults, children, and families in New Jersey to ensure fair and equal treatment within the legal system. Programs include free legal counsel and advice, educational seminars on various legal matters, and direct representation for at-risk individuals facing critical civil legal issues. Established in 2001, VLJ has grown from a grass roots effort of 30 volunteer attorneys in Essex County to a state-wide 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with five staff attorneys and more than 1,500 volunteer attorneys providing free legal services to thousands of clients each year.