The New Jersey State Bar Association is proud to recognize attorneys who go above and beyond in their work to ensure fair representation under the law. To celebrate exemplary pro bono service, all are welcome to attend the annual NJSBA Pro Bono Awards on Oct. 29, an event that will honor six remarkable individuals, firms and corporate legal departments that show an outstanding commitment to providing legal services to the state’s underserved residents. This year’s winners have taken up noble causes in child immigration, criminal expungements, fair housing and more. Hear from two of the award recipients as part of an ongoing series exploring the vital work by the honorees.
Michael A. Conforti – Distinguished Attorney Award
The Distinguished Attorney Award recognizes an attorney in practice for 10 years or fewer. Conforti handles a wide variety of cases at Gibbons P.C. in the firm’s Business and Commercial Litigation Group. Since 2018, he has performed over 180 hours of pro bono work helping 61 clients through Volunteer Lawyers for Justice. His pro bono service focuses on criminal expungements, driver’s license restoration, child support modification and issues impacting the reentry population.
You were working with Volunteer Lawyers for Justice as an intern, even before passing the bar exam. How and why did you become involved with the organization?
I am a product of the underserved community. My single mother raised two boys on a $12,000 annual salary, and we spent considerable time living what felt like a nomadic life. Those experiences opened my eyes to the widespread injustices felt by lower-income individuals. Aside from my love of reading and writing, law school presented an opportunity to give back to the community from which I came, and VLJ’s commitment to providing access to justice for underserved populations resonated deeply with my values and goals as a person. During my internship with VLJ, I had the phenomenal opportunity to work alongside hyper-dedicated professionals who exemplified the importance of advocacy and compassion. VLJ not only enhanced by legal acumen, but also solidified my dedication to pro bono work. I wanted to contribute meaningfully to the community, and VLJ provided an ideal platform to do just that. That involvement laid the foundation for my ongoing commitment to public service, including continuing to work hand-in-hand with VLJ, and strengthened my resolve to advocate for those in need.
Much of your professional practice is in business and commercial litigation, yet your pro bono service mostly focuses on criminal expungements and reentry issues. Why do you take up that work?
Candidly, from a young age, I witnessed friends and family enter the revolving door of the criminal justice system based on nothing more than substance abuse. These were not hardened criminals, but ordinary people who needed help. It was obvious to me then, as it remains to this day, that our criminal justice system can become an insurmountable roadblock for anyone guilty of making a mistake in their lives. But there’s nothing more refreshing and hopeful than a clean slate and an opportunity to turn a new page, drawing on previous experiences – both good and bad. Criminal expungements and reentry issues provide the avenue that so many good people need and want, so I committed myself largely to that community.
How do you balance pro bono work with your other professional responsibilities?
You make time. No matter how many responsibilities are on my plate at any given moment, a key to success in this profession is to balance your time wisely. And everything always works out in the end—you just manage your time, and you will make it work. So, for me, one should never say “no” or “I’m too busy” when given the opportunity to donate time to a pro bono cause. The correct answer is always “yes,” and I have never regretted that decision, not once. Also, and perhaps most important, the client will be eternally grateful for your time. There are so many people in the underserved communities that need assistance. It is the easiest and most rewarding thing in the world to lend a helping hand.
Reymond E. Yammine – Champion of Justice Award
The Champion of Justice Award recognizes an individual attorney from a solo or small firm, a medium-sized firm and a large firm. Since 2017, Yammine has completed a total of 1,118 pro bono hours on behalf of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), an organization that helps unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children with their immigration status. In addition to representing underserved and vulnerable immigrant children in New Jersey, Yammine also works to promote a pro bono culture within his firm, K&L Gates, and mentors other attorneys in pro bono service.
How did you become involved with helping unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children with their immigration status and why were you drawn to that work?
I became involved with immigration work because my family has a long history of immigration. My grandparents and my great grandparents all lived through their own personal journeys of moving to new countries and adapting to completely foreign cultures. To give an example, my grandfather immigrated from Lebanon to Venezuela almost 70 years ago. He spoke no Spanish and didn’t have much of money. He was later joined by my grandmother, who was in a similar circumstance. What they did have was the determination improve theirs and their children’s lives through hard work. Unbeknownst to them, I would join the family tradition many decades later. Thanks to my grandparents, I had a lot of resources and opportunities available to me that they could have only dreamed about when they first began their journey. It is only fair for me to pay it forward and help other individuals have the same opportunity.
In that regard, KIND does an extraordinary job of helping those who are most in need: children. KIND helps immigrant children with a myriad of issues beyond normalizing their immigration status. Indeed, I have yet to see a problem that KIND cannot fix. My hope is that I am able to give my clients an opportunity to build the life they want in the United States and pay it forward.
New Jersey receives the fifth most unaccompanied minors in the nation. Additionally, there is no right to appointed counsel in immigration proceedings. How vital is pro bono service for this population of litigants?
It is extremely important. Immigrants who arrive to this country are left with the daunting experience of figuring out where they are going to live, how they are going to feed themselves, and how they are going to afford it. Their immigration status, or lack thereof, is only a small part of the many difficulties they face. As you can imagine, affording a private attorney is out of reach for most. Under these circumstances, pro bono attorneys become their only opportunity to normalize their immigration status, become a fully integrated member of society and improve their quality of life. Of course, it takes a village. Our pro bono legal work would be nothing without the work that charitable organizations across the country put into helping undocumented immigrants meet their most basic human needs.
Describe how your pro bono service has made you a better attorney.
Pro bono work is an excellent opportunity for junior attorneys to have hands-on experience early in their career. I began working on pro bono immigration matters back in law school, where I joined a legal clinic dedicated to providing legal services for farmworkers and community organizations. Even as a law student, I was meeting with clients and attending court hearings under the supervision of experienced attorneys. There, I also learned the difference that having a passionate attorney has on clients’ lives. Indeed, beyond all the skills that I have acquired, my pro bono work has taught me the importance of listening and being empathetic toward my clients. Finding oneself embroiled in a legal situation can be a scary and stressful experience. Having an attorney who is willing to listen and explain things can make all the difference.