From advocating for children fleeing violence in Central America, to helping low-income individuals gain a fresh financial start through filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions, to obtaining protection orders for women and children in danger, the work of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) 2021 Pro Bono Award recipients has been life changing and, in many cases, life saving.
The NJSBA will honor this year’s recipients on Oct. 18 at a free virtual event that recognizes exemplary volunteer work that has a significant impact on access to justice for underserved communities in the state.
A lifetime of service
Frank Corrado, a partner at Barry, Corrado, Grassi & Gillin-Schwartz, in Wildwood, and a preeminent expert in New Jersey on the First Amendment, criminal law and ethics, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
His “contributions to New Jersey’s civil rights landscape during the past 30 years are immeasurable,” Jeanne LoCicero, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union-NJ, wrote in her nomination of Corrado. “Not only has he been generous with his time and talents, but he is also principled and fearless in working for the public interest, and his contributions to our state cannot be overstated,” she said.
A former president of the ACLU-NJ, Corrado has contributed to the growth of the organization through his mentorship of staff attorneys and law fellows. He has handled more cases for the organization than any other private attorney and has served more than 100 pro bono clients and donated more than 6,800 hours over his career.
Advocate for refugee children
Ariel Kapoano, an associate at Morgan Lewis & Bockius, in Princeton, will receive the New Attorney Award.
“For over six years, from the time she was admitted to practice law, Ariel has been an exceptional advocate for the refugee children that KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) serves, protecting and advancing their legal interests with compassion and extraordinary talent,” Gilda Holguin, acting managing attorney of KIND- Newark, wrote in her nomination of Kapoano.
KIND provides free counsel to unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in the United States, including many unaccompanied minors who are from Central America’s Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Nearly all of the children have experienced some form of trauma, most often in the form of child abuse, neglect, abandonment, sexual violence, gang violence or recruitment, or trafficking.
“She has repeatedly engaged in difficult cases, with challenging family dynamics and legal and practical obstacles…. Her dedication has remained steadfast, and her efforts are particularly worthy of recognition as she continued to move cases forward during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic,” Holguin noted.
Connecting with immigrant children
Ryan Richman, an attorney at McCarter & English, in Newark, will receive the Individual Attorney Award. Richman has provided pro bono legal representation through KIND; Partners for Women and Justice, a non- profit legal services agency supporting low-income survivors of domestic violence; and Essex Newark Legal Services; as well as through court-appointed guardianship matters in Essex County. “His advocacy for immigrant children stands out, not only because of the amazing results of his legal strategy but because he consistently meets children and their families where they are, and takes the time to really know them and create connections that go beyond focus on a legal goal,” Holguin wrote in her nomination.
Helping low-income individuals file bankruptcy
Sam Della Fera, co-chair of the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights group at Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, in West Orange, will receive the Individual Attorney Award. For nearly 20 years, he has offered his legal expertise to clients, staff and other pro bono attorneys at Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) in Newark. Della Fera has also mentored students at the Hon. Morris Stern Pro Bono Bankruptcy Project at Rutgers Law School.
Nari Wang, the staff attorney who manages the VLJ’s Debt Relief Pro- gram, wrote that beyond Della Fera’s legal experience and expertise, “what sets him apart is his humility and the compassion he puts forward when interacting with our clients.”
Helping the underserved in Newark
The legal department at Audible, the world’s largest producer of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, and a subsidiary of Amazon based in Newark, will receive the Law Firm Award.
Audible attorneys worked with 11 pro bono organizations in 2020, that included providing legal counsel on transactional and employment matters for low-income individuals and social service organizations; volunteering in family and immigration law; and providing life-changing relief in VLJ’s Reentry Legal Services program, ReLeSe, by helping individuals expunge criminal records.
“The attorneys from Audible are a remarkable group of advocates, replete with passion and conviction for the clients they serve and the caus- es they have undertaken as a company, always striving to fulfill their collective mission to enhance the lives of their neighbors in Newark and in the larger New Jersey community,” Cathy Keenan, executive director of VLJ, and Holguin, wrote in their nomination.
To attend the event, register at njsba.com.