Lowenstein Sandler Opens Center for the Public Interest
October 29, 2008
Gary M. Wingens, Kenneth H. Zimmerman
Roseland, NJ – Lowenstein Sandler today announced the establishment of the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest, reaffirming and expanding the firm’s dedication to addressing significant social issues and providing community assistance.
The Center for the Public Interest was launched at Lowenstein’s Third Annual Pro Bono Celebration recognizing the service and achievement of individuals at the firm, and the firm's non-profit partners. The firm also presented the inaugural Lowenstein Sandler Alumni Public Service Award to state Comptroller Matt Boxer, a former Lowenstein Sandler attorney.
Lowenstein’s Center will be led by Ken Zimmerman, a Member of the firm and former chief counsel to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. As part of the program, five Lowenstein associates will dedicate 25 percent of their time to the Center’s projects and help spearhead the firm’s overall pro bono efforts, which in 2007 involved some 230 lawyers and totaled nearly 19,000 hours of attorney and paralegal participation.
“The firm has been committed to public service since its founding,” said Lowenstein Managing Director Gary M. Wingens. “The Center will enable attorneys, professional staff and others in the firm to engage in meaningful pro bono and civic opportunities, reaffirming Lowenstein’s dedication to maximizing our social impact.”
The Center will focus on six areas: children and education; immigration; criminal justice; civil and human rights; the arts; and sustainable and community development.
“Lowenstein will proactively identify issues, programs and partners, in particular helping low-income, disadvantaged and other vulnerable people and the organizations that advocate for and support them,” said Mr. Zimmerman.
Initial projects include serving as the lead New Jersey law firm working with KIND (Kids in Need of Defense), which will provide universal legal representation to unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings; responding to the mortgage lending crisis by assisting HANDS and other local non-profits develop a Community Asset Preservation Corporation; and continuing major impact litigation, such as the statewide case undertaken with the Seton Hall Center for Social Justice challenging the raids on immigrant homes conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Establishment of the Center builds on Lowenstein’s public service foundation that earned it the number one pro bono ranking among New Jersey law firms for the past three years. Lowenstein is a charter member of the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Challenge, committing more than three percent of billable hours per year to pro bono work.
About Lowenstein Sandler
Lowenstein Sandler is a nationally recognized corporate law firm with offices in Boston, New York, Palo Alto and Roseland, with more than 270 attorneys providing a full range of legal services. The firm’s commitment to its clients is demonstrated through its client-centered, service-oriented culture. Lowenstein Sandler attorneys are regularly recognized for excellence by clients and peers in national publications, including Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Legal 500.
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