Featured Charity - Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
Mission Statement: Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) seeks to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged adults, children and families in New Jersey by empowering them with tools, advice and pro bono representation with the goal of securing fair and equal treatment within the legal system.
VLJ recruits and trains volunteers to provide free civil legal assistance to low income clients throughout New Jersey. Volunteers include: solo practitioners; administrative staff, associates and partners from small, mid-sized and large law firms in New Jersey and New York City; corporate in-house legal departments; as well as students from a number of area law schools. VLJ operates seven distinct projects, all providing free services to financially eligible clients referred from community organizations. VLJ is supported entirely by gifts, grants and fundraising events. VLJ was established in 2001 by a small group of attorneys in New Jersey concerned about the limited availability of free legal resources to the poor. Since its inception, VLJ has grown from a program of 30 volunteers to an organization boasting over 1,000 volunteer lawyers, paralegals, law students and others who have donated their time and expertise to thousands of clients with almost every civil legal issue.
VLJ has won numerous awards for its programs including the 2007 New Jersey State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award which it shares with all of its dedicated volunteers, funders and community partners working toward equal justice for all.
To learn more about VLJ, please visit our website at www.vljnj.org
Funds from PWR
In 2007, PWR held a concert to benefit Volunteer Lawyers for Justice at the Diva Lounge. The concert raised $2,500 to benefit VLJ’s programs. Those funds were used by VLJ to support its Children’s Special Education Law Project through which VLJ volunteers represent special needs children being denied services to which they are entitled in their schools. The funds from PWR went a long way to paying expenses of experts, and other costs incurred by VLJ clients and required in these matters. Without the funds from PWR, these clients would have been unable to proceed with their cases and their children would have withered in educational setting inappropriate to meeting their special needs. VLJ is indebted to all those involved with PWR for their generous support and their dedication to serving those in need in the community.
