Essex Bar Plans Pro Bono Center, First in the State
Legal Services E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Tim O'Brien
Source: New Jersey Law Journal
Date: 7/10/2000
LSC-funded Essex-Newark (N.J.) Legal Services Project Inc. (ENLS), the American Civil Liberties Union’s New Jersey chapter, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and the Education Law Center (N.J.) will begin referring clients to a new pro bono center sponsored by the Essex County (N.J.) Bar Association. The pro bono center, which is to be the first voluntary pro bono organization in New Jersey, will match the referred clients with volunteer lawyers who will provide legal services in housing, family, consumer, and education law matters. Essex County Bar Association Trustee Susan Feeney says, "The pro bono lawyer is going to get a lot more than just a client name," and explains that the referring agencies will give the volunteer attorneys detailed intake forms that include a judgment about the merits of the case. The pro bono center is expected to handle "spill-over cases" that ENLS cannot take under restrictions on LSC funds. The pro bono center is seeking a matching grant for the Essex Country Bar Association’s initial $50,000 donation, and plans to open in January 2001. Tim O’Brien, Essex Bar Plans Pro Bono Center, First in the State, N.J.L.J., July 10, 2000, page reference unavailable.