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Pro Bono Program Details
Some of Lowenstein Sandler’s pro bono matters include:
- New York v. John Kogut: Lowenstein associate Samantha Friedman served as second defense chair in the 2005 retrial of John Kogut, whose original 1986 conviction rape and murder was thrown out in 2003 as a result of DNA testing. Ultimately spending more than 1,200 hours on the case, Friedman handled responsibilities that ranged from prepping numerous technical and scientific expert witnesses to delivering the defendant his clean suit for court. Kogut was found not guilty and was freed after spending 17 years in jail.
- Doe v. Children of the World: In a case alleging that a private adoption agency discriminated against people with HIV, Lowenstein Sandler lawyers, led by Jeffrey Wild, dedicated hundreds of hours to this case and ultimately reached a settlement requiring the agency to revise its policy, pay damages, and publicly apologize for its behavior.
- Children's Rights v. State of New Jersey: Landmark Settlement to Reform New Jersey’s Child Welfare System (DYFS): In 1999, the firm filed a federal action along with the Children’s Rights, Inc. (“CRI”) on behalf of foster children in New Jersey. A final settlement agreement was signed in June 2003, mandating a full examination and reform of the state's current foster care system. Lowenstein Sandler agreed to waive its right to seek fees that could have amounted to more than $1 million in order to enable DYFS to fund remedies for the benefit of the children.
- League of Women Voters: Lowenstein Sandler is an active counsel for the League of Women Voters in its role as influential amicus in the Abbott v. Burke series of educational equity school funding cases, which direct affecting the quality of education for all urban school children in New Jersey.
- Racial Profiling: In cooperation with the American Civil Liberties Union, the firm represented two African-American women in a high-profile court action regarding two humiliating physical searches by U.S. Customs officers at Newark Airport.
- Police Brutality: Lowenstein Sandler achieved several significant victories in the battle to protect civil rights and prevent police brutality.
- Political Asylum: The firm continues its efforts on behalf of applicants for political asylum in conjunction with the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. Litigation associate Paul Salvatoriello was singled out by the New Jersey Law Journal for his work representing a Columbian man who was unfairly targeted because of his politics and sexual orientation, and who was granted asylum on appeal.
- Our Children’s Foundation of New Jersey, Inc.: The firm represented the organization in the acquisition of its new building, which will serve as the headquarters from which it will provide educational and cultural activities and services to Essex County children.
- United Jewish Federation: The firm works with the United Jewish Federation to set up important aspects of its MetroWest Employees Pension Plan. Specifically, we advise on Plan design and administration which includes, for example, drafting a Summary Plan Description of the principal Plan provisions for participants. The firm also handles a domestic relations matter involving the division of pension plan benefits, commonly referred to as a “Qualified Domestic Relations Order.”
- Women for Women of Union County, Inc.: Lowenstein Sandler is providing general corporate, real estate, and employment law advice and counsel to this 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers short-term, low-cost individual counseling, support groups, workshops, and referral services for women going through transitional and/or developmental crises in their lives. Women for Women also provides a very successful support group program, Children Helping Children, designed for children experiencing the effects of parents’ divorce.
- The House of Faith, Inc.: The firm successfully represented this organization in its commitment to developing transitional housing programs through a $1 million H.U.D. grant. After the Jersey City Board of Adjustments yielded to local residents and denied The House of Faith’s use-permit and variance requests, a judge reversed the Board’s decision, granted the use-permit as a matter of law, and further held that the Board’s actions violated the Fair Housing Amendments Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
In addition to managing individual matters, Lowenstein Sandler develops, funds, implements, or otherwise contributes to a number of community service initiatives:
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
Founded by Alan V. Lowenstein, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice tackles legislative and legal efforts to help assure basic human needs, freedom from discrimination, job training, equal educational opportunity, and equal access to the judicial system at all levels. Firm attorneys continue to work closely with the Institute on several matters; for example:
- Research and analysis regarding state and the federal responses to predatory lending, a discriminatory practice by which unscrupulous creditors take unfair advantage of low-income, usually urban residents
- Public comments relating to facilities implementation and affirmative action regulations issued by the state in connection with the $8 billion public school construction initiative about to get underway
The Lowenstein Fellowship: Essex-Newark Legal Services
In 1990, Lowenstein Sandler established the Lowenstein Fellowship to assist Essex-Newark Legal Services (ENLS) in providing free civil legal assistance to very low-income residents of Essex County. For the past 14 years, at no cost to Legal Services, a second- or third-year Lowenstein Sandler associate has worked at ENLS full time, side by side with ENLS attorneys, representing indigent clients in a wide variety of civil and criminal matters. During the period, the associate remains on the firm payroll and has access to firm resources. Every six months, the associate is replaced by a new volunteer.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
In Essex County, the county bar association, Legal Services Foundation, several private law firms, and public interest organizations coordinate pro bono services through the Essex County Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), charged with addressing the enormous unmet legal needs of the county’s indigent population and to more evenly distribute pro bono cases among members of the Bar. Two Lowenstein Sandler associates recently were honored by this organization for their work, including assisting survivors of September 11 victims obtain death certificates of loved ones and working to gain asylum for refugees.
National Association for Public Interest Law
Lowenstein Sandler sponsors a two-year, full-time public interest fellowship for equal justice through the National Association of Public Interest Law (NAPIL). The current fellow worked with the Association for Children of New Jersey, a statewide child advocacy organization. Through her efforts, she has established the Low Income Education and Advocacy Project (LEAP), which combines community education, advocacy, and legislative efforts to link Essex County families to government benefit programs. In addition, the firm, along with Lucent Technologies, co-sponsors a second NAPIL fellowship at the Education Law Center.
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