David Bershad Donates $50,000 to Volunteer Lawyers for Justice's Newark Reentry Legal Services

VLJ's ReLeSe Focuses on Successful Community Reintegration for Low-Income Essex County Residents With Criminal Records. End Quote

Newark, NJ (1888PressRelease) March 12, 2011 - Continuing his support of Newark, N.J.-based Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), David Bershad, principal of the David Bershad Family Foundation, has donated $50,000 to the non-profit's Newark Reentry Legal Services (ReLeSe) to finance a ReLeSe staff attorney position. The program focuses on helping low-income Essex County residents with criminal records address the civil legal barriers that serve as obstacles to their successful community reintegration. At a recent meeting, Bershad presented the check to Karen Sacks, Esq., founding executive director of VLJ.

A member of VLJ's board of trustees, Bershad is a former partner of Milberg Weiss, a plaintiff's class action firm. The Montclair, N.J.-resident is assisting VLJ's ReLeSe with program development issues. ReLeSe helps its clients with driver's license restoration, resolution of long outstanding municipal matters, modification of child support orders, and the expungement of criminal records through in-house representation and referrals to volunteer attorneys.

Since its founding, VLJ has grown from a grass roots effort of 30 volunteer attorneys in Essex County to a state-wide not-for-profit with five staff attorneys and more than 1,500 volunteer attorneys aiding thousands of economically-disadvantaged clients each year. 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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