Volunteer Lawyers for Justice to Hold Free Legal Aid Clinic in Atlantic City for N.J. Victims of Superstorm Sandy

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Atlantic City, NJ (1888PressRelease) September 20, 2013 - On Friday, October 18, 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 Oct. 18 clinic can call VLJ's DLRP hotline - (855) 301-2525 - to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome. VLJ is also holding free legal aid clinics in Monmouth, Ocean, Hudson and Bergen counties. For a full list of upcoming clinics, visit http://www.vljnj.org/.

At the clinics, VLJ and its volunteer attorneys provide counsel, advice and limited scope assistance to participants. Topics include insurance, housing or landlord/tenant issues, contractor disputes, and FEMA appeals. In addition to the attorneys of Duane Morris LLP, volunteers at the clinics have included attorneys from McCarter & English LLP, Patton Boggs LLP, UBS, Citi, 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.

All victims of the storm with legal issues in New Jersey, regardless of their income and assets, are eligible to meet with a volunteer attorney at the legal clinic for advice and/or brief service. Clinic participants needing extended representation are screened for financial eligibility. Generally, a family of four must have an annual income that is less than $71,000, and applicants will also be asked questions about the value of their assets. VLJ will attempt to locate a volunteer attorney to take on full representation of the client's legal issue.

Victims can also call VLJ's statewide toll-free disaster hotline, which is staffed by volunteer attorneys, VLJ staff and law students. Intake staff is available to answer calls 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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