RootedinService FosteringaProBonoCultureinNewJersey
ByEmeraldSheay
EMERALDSHEAYisastaffattorneyat VolunteerLawyersforJustice,whereshe focusesonprobonoengagementand recruitmentefforts,andleadstheorganization’snamechangeandchildren’srepresentationprograms.
Lawyersknowthere’sastrongneedforcivillegalaid—butwhatmightbelessobvious isjusthowdramaticallythatneedoutpacestheresourcesavailable.Themostrecent estimatesfromtheAmericanBarAssociationtellusthatonaverage,theUnited Stateshasjust2.8civillegalaidlawyersforevery10,000peopleinpoverty.1
Meanwhile,92%oflow-incomeAmericanssurveyedreportednotgettingenoughlegal helpformattersthat“havehadasignificantimpactonthem.”2Theprivatebarcan— andmust—playasignificantroleinnarrowingthisexistingjusticegap.AtVolunteer LawyersforJustice,ourstaffandvolunteersfocusonbridgingthegapbyproviding civillegalservicestothoseexperiencingpoverty.
BeyondMadden:TheBroaderImpact ofProBonoService
AsNewJersey-barredlawyersarewell awarefromtheoften-dreadedMadden assignment,membersoftheNewJersey Bararerequiredtoprovideprobono counseltoindigentdefendants.Madden, aNewJerseySupremeCourtCasefrom 1992,affirmedtheprinciplethat“the dutytodefendthepoorisaprofessional obligationrationallyincidentaltothe rightaccordedasmallsegmentofthe citizenrytopracticelaw.”3Asaresultof thedecision,lawyersareplacedontoan electroniclistwhereintheymaybe assignedamatterforprobonorepresentationintheircountyofresidence.The Courtbasedthisdecision,inpart,onthe bench’sviewofNewJerseyas“astatein whichtheethical,enforceableobligationofattorneystoacceptsuchassignmentshasanunbrokenhistoryfrom colonialtimes.”4
Thepublicinterestinencouragingpro bonoworkexpandsvastlybeyondfulfillingacourt-mandatedduty.Attheoutset, legalservicesprovideaveryrealeconomicimpactonthecommunitiesserved. Over50studieshaveshownthatfor every$1investedincivillegalaid,a$7 returnisprovided.5Simplyput,investmentintocivillegalaidresultsinapositivereturnoninvestment.Thisincludes
directbenefits,suchasfinancialrecoveriesforclients,avoidedcosts,andtaxpayersavings.Indirectbenefits,including booststolocaleconomiesandstabilizing communities,provideadditionalsocial impactsbeyondtherecipientofthelegal services.Ultimately,probonoserviceis notjustaprofessionalobligation—itisa toolforeconomicandsocialjustice acrossourcommunities.
GoodDeeds,GreaterReturns: WhyProBonoPaysOff
Thebenefitsofprobonoworkextend toattorneysaswell.Volunteersregularly reportfeelingasenseofpurpose,fulfillment,andalignmentwiththeirvalues whentheyengageinmeaningfulpro bonowork.Anadditional,moretangible benefit,isthatthosewhoprovide25 hoursofprobonoserviceannually (throughaqualifiedlegalprogram)are exemptfromaMaddenassignmentthe followingyear.6Engaginginprobono workthroughaqualifiedprogramallows lawyerstochoosehowtosatisfytheir professionalobligation,ratherthansimplyawaitingacourt-orderedMaddenpro bonoassignment.
AccordingtotheThompsonReuters Foundation,lawfirmsrecognizemany otherbenefitsofprobonowork:73%of surveyedlawfirmsreportusingprobono
mattersasawaytotrainanddevelop newerattorneys.7Probonomattersare anexcellentopportunityforattorneysto gethands-onexperiencewithclient counseling,draftingcourtfilings,and makingcourtappearances,earlierin theircareers.Perhapsinrecognitionof thisadvantage,43%offirmsalsoreportedusingprobonoworkasawaytoretain employees.Otherreportedreasonsfirms engageinprobonoincludethealignmentoftheprobonoworkwithclient’s interests,marketing,andadesiretosupporttheircommunities.
Promotingacultureofprobono workbenefitsthepublicwhilehelping firmsdeveloptalent,retainstaff,and alignwithclientvalues.Luckily,there aresimple(anddata-proven)waysthat firmscanboosttheirprobonowork.As justoneexample,firmswithadesignatedprobonocoordinatoraveragealmost threetimesmoreprobonohoursthan firmswithoutacoordinator.8Likewise, firmsthathaveawrittenprobonopolicyestablishingthefirm’sintentionand structureforprobonowork,onaverage, reporthigherprobonohoursannually.9 Otherstrategies,suchasprovidingbillablehourcreditforprobonowork, internalawardsandrecognition,and partneringwithorganizationsthatrefer probonomatters,canbolsterafirm’s
probonoimpact.Byadoptingthese techniques,lawfirmscancreatealasting,high-impactprobonoculturethat servesboththegreatergoodandtheir long-termsuccess.
AdaptingtoMeettheMoment: VLJ’sEvolvingLegalResponse
Whileconsumerdebt,healthcare, familylaw,andhousingissuesremain themostcommontypesofsought-after legalhelp,respondingtocivillegalneeds requiresadaptability.VLJexperienced thisitselfwhen,lessthanthreemonths afteritsfounding,theSept.11terror attacksoccurred.VLJrapidlyresponded toformthe9/11TaskForceandWorld TradeCenterProgram,inpartnership withtheEssexCountyBarAssociation. Again,in2012,VLJrespondedtothe impactofSuperstormSandybylaunchingaDisasterLegalResponseProgram andworkedwiththelegalcommunityto developacoordinatedlegalresponseto disasters.
Inrecentyears,acoordinatedlegal responsehasbeenkeyinaddressingthe housingcrisisinthewakeofCOVID-19. VLJhasconvenedaregularmeetingof tenant’srightsorganizationssince March2020toprotecttherightsoftenantsandprobonoattorneyshavejoined intopreventhomelessnessforfamilies acrossthestate.Probonoattorneyshave beenkeyalliesinrespondingtothemost urgentlegalneedsinourstateandwill nodoubtbeessentialasfundingforservicesforpeopleexperiencingpovertyface deepercuts.
OurVision:SustainingandGrowing ProBonoCulture
Accesstohigh-qualityprobonocivil legalservicescanbelife-changingforthe clientswhoreceivethem.Fewexamples betterepitomizetheimpactcivillegal servicescanhavethenthatofformerVLJ client,Lamar.Lamarsoughtandreceived VLJ’shelpthreetimes,onavarietyof mattersstemmingfromhomelessness,
eviction,identitytheft,andconsumer debt.Receivingtheseservicesprovided himwithtwomajorbenefits.Thefirst wasstability,whenhewasabletosecure permanenthousing.Thesecondwashis positiveexposuretothelegalprofession. “Lawschoolwasalwaysonmyradar,but Ididn’thaveanymotivation,”Lamar shared.“Ididn’tknowanythingabout thelaw.Ididn’tknowanylawyers.By havingtheinteractionswithVLJ’svolunteerlawyers,thatshowedmewhat lawyersdo:helppeople.”Lamarwenton toattendlawschoolandisnowavolunteerattorneyforthesameorganization thathelpedhimmanyyearsago.He notesthathisexperiencewithVLJ“has comefullcircle.”
VLJ’sabilitytohelpclientslikeLamar stemsfromastrongprobonoecosystem ofvolunteers.In2024alone,665volunteersdonatedtimethroughVLJ’sprograms,making2024arecord-settingyear forourorganization.Over4,400people wereimpactedbydonatedlegalservices. ItisbecauseofthisreachthatVLJ remainscommittedtoprovidingand coordinatingprobonolegalservicesin partnershipwiththeprivatebar.VLJcurrentlyrunseightlegalprograms,sixof whichincludeclinicsstaffedbyvolunteerattorneysfromlawfirmsandcorporationsthroughoutthestate.Beyondthe clinicsetting,volunteersprovidedirect representationtoclientsacrossthese programs,withthesupportofVLJstaff andresourceswhilehandlingthematter. RegulartrainingsandCLEprograms taughtbyVLJstafftakeplacethroughout theyear,ontopicsrangingfromeviction defensetoethicalprobonolawyering. Lookingahead,VLJisproudtocontinue growingapowerfulprobononetwork thatadvancesaccesstojusticeacross NewJersey.
Conclusion
Aslawyers,wecaneffectuatesignificantchangeinourcommunities.Now morethanever,itisimportantthatthe
professiondoesnotlosesightofthis poweramidbillablehours,clientphone calls,courtappearances,and(many) cupsofcoffee.VLJwelcomesnewand existingvolunteerstorecommittopro bonoservice.Whetheryouractofservice isvolunteeringinalegalclinic,accepting representationofaclientinanexpungementmatter,orprovidingconsultations onbankruptcyeligibility,theimpactof donatedlegalexpertisecannotbeoverstated.Togetherwithourdedicatedvolunteers,VLJcontinuestobuildamore justandequitableNewJersey—one client,onecase,andoneactofserviceat atime.n
Endnotes
1.AmericanBarAssociation,Profileof theLegalProfession2023(2023).
2.LegalServicesCorporation,Justice GapFullReport2022(2022).
3.Maddenv.DelranTp.,126N.J.591 (1992)(citingStatev.Rush,46N.J. 399(1966)).
4.Id.at603.
5.LegalServicesCorporation,The EconomicCaseforCivilLegalAid, (2025).
6.N.J.Ct.R.1:21-12.
7.ThomsonReutersFoundation,2024 TrustLawIndexofProBono,2025.
8.Id.
9.Id.Firmswithprobonopolicies reportanaverageof30.3hoursof probonoworkperfeeearner, comparedto19.6hoursperfee earnerforfirmswithnoprobono policyinplace.