Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
P.O. Box 32040
Newark, NJ 07102
More Than a Year Later, Many Area Residents Still Dealing With Sandy Legal Issues
Event Date: March 28, 2014
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ATLANTIC CITY/NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 28, 2014 – On Friday, March 28, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) will hold a free legal aid clinic in Atlantic City for New Jersey residents dealing with legal issues directly related to Superstorm Sandy. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the St. Andrew by the Sea Lutheran Church at 936 Baltic Avenue in Atlantic City. A part of VLJ’s Disaster Legal Response Program (DLRP), this clinic is made possible through VLJ’s collaboration with Duane Morris LLP.
Anyone interested in attending the March 28 clinic can call VLJ’s DLRP toll-free phone number – (855) 301-2525 – to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.
At these free legal clinics, VLJ’s volunteer attorneys provide counsel, advice and/or limited scope assistance to participants. Matters often include insurance, housing or landlord/tenant issues, contractor disputes, and FEMA appeals. Volunteers at the clinics have included attorneys from McCarter & English LLP, Patton Boggs LLP, UBS, Citi, Duane Morris LLP, Gibbons PC, Jackson Lewis LLP, and Morgan Lewis. 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.
VLJ also continues to hold clinics in Monmouth, Ocean and Bergen 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.
All Sandy victims with legal issues in New Jersey stemming from the storm, regardless of their income and assets, are eligible to meet with a volunteer attorney at the legal clinics for advice and/or brief service. Clients needing extended representation are screened for financial eligibility, and VLJ will attempt to locate a volunteer attorney for those who qualify.
Intake staff is available to answer calls on the statewide, toll-free phone number 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)