Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
P.O. Box 32040
Newark, NJ 07102
Nearly a Year and a Half Later, Many Area Residents Still Struggling With Legal Issues; Clinic Date Set for April 12
Event Date: April 12, 2014
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NEWARK, N.J., April 4, 2014 – Volunteer Lawyers for Justice’s Disaster Legal Response Program (VLJ’s DLRP), in collaboration with the Community Health Law Project (CHLP) and Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ), will assist with a free legal clinic hosted by the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) in Newark, New Jersey. The clinic will take place at the Ironbound Recreation Center (226 Rome Street) on Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The clinic will focus primarily on FEMA appeals, which must be submitted by April 30, but New Jersey residents with other legal issues directly related to Superstorm Sandy are welcome. Clients are highly encouraged to schedule appointments (by calling Chris Kok of the ICC at (973) 465-0555 ext. 206), as walk-ins may have to wait.
At the clinic, attorneys from VLJ, CHLP, and LSNJ will provide counsel, advice and/or limited scope assistance to participants. In addition to FEMA appeals, matters may include insurance, housing or landlord/tenant issues, or contractor disputes. Clinic participants should bring all relevant documents, such as correspondence with FEMA, insurance policies and correspondence with insurers, mortgages and recent mortgage statements, and leases and correspondence with landlords.
All Sandy victims with legal issues in New Jersey stemming from the storm, regardless of their income and assets, can meet with a volunteer attorney at the legal clinic for advice and/or brief service. Clients needing extended representation may be referred back to VLJ, CHLP, or LSNJ for placement with an attorney, if eligible.
VLJ continues to hold clinics in Bergen, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties. A regularly updated list of clinic dates is available at http://www.vljnj.org/. The clinics are made possible by generous funding from VLJ’s partners including Merck, McCarter & English LLP, the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and the Robin Hood Foundation.
VLJ’s DLRP also includes a statewide, toll-free phone number – (855) 301-2525. Intake staff is available to answer calls on Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will screen cases for potential placement with volunteer lawyers. Callers may also leave a message on the hotline after hours and receive a prompt call-back from a VLJ volunteer or staff member to address their issues.
VLJ is a state-wide 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation based in Newark. 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.
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About Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ)