I hope you have been enjoying the beautiful weather and the feeling of hope and restoration that has recently filled our city. The last few weeks have been truly inspiring as our team works hard to put together a special virtual gala featuring heartfelt performances filmed in iconic spaces of the historic NYC Bar Association building celebrating you, members of the City Bar Justice Center community. Please join us for a live broadcast of the event on May 25, 2021 from 6:00-6:30pm and make sure to check out the teaser trailer if you haven’t already! The annual gala was inspired by the theme “Make Justice a Movement” because it speaks to the tremendous dedication and commitment demonstrated by our team, pro bono volunteers, and supporters this past year to provide critical legal assistance to New Yorkers during a time of crisis – all while dealing with their own challenges amid the pandemic.
CBJC’s annual report, highlights the impact of our work resulting from the generosity of supporters and contributors who are motivated by the same mission to further access to civil justice for all. In 2020-21, CBJC’s modest but mighty staff of 30 provided over 24,000 New Yorkers with legal assistance, including by leveraging over $15 million in pro bono services provided by over 2,000 volunteer attorneys.
Please donate today to make an even bigger impact! I look forward to your continued support as we prepare for and develop programming focused on post-COVID recovery.
New! 2020-2021 Annual Report:A Year After COVID. Our annual report highlights the work we accomplished this past year with the outstanding support of the City Bar Justice Center community, including a fierce cohort of colleagues, pro bono partners, community partners, volunteers, and donors. In 2020-21, the collective contributions of the CBJC community enabled us to provide free, quality legal assistance to over 24,000 New Yorkers through our 12 civil justice projects and three COVID-19 initiatives.
Meet Cassandra M. Celestin, CBJC’s New Director of Pro Bono Initiatives. Cassandra brings to CBJC 12 years of experience as a family law trial attorney and advocate for children. In this new role, Cassandra will utilize her deep experience in public interest law and commitment to client advocacy to spearhead initiatives in collaboration with CBJC’s civil justice projects and pro bono partners. The following interview provides a closer look at Cassandra’s background and experience – and, on a more personal level, what helps her stay motivated and inspired to do this important work. Learn more.
How Access to Language Services is Vital to Closing the Justice Gap. Navigating the civil legal process and understanding court procedures is difficult for individuals who do not have legal assistance or representation, and even more challenging for those who do not speak English or have limited English proficiency. Read an article by the Consumer Bankruptcy Project on how our team is working towards closing the justice gap through increasing access to language services with the aid of pro bono partners like MetLife, a longstanding supporter of CBJC.
Lessons Learned from the Immigrant Justice Project (IJP): Over a year after the pandemic, IJP has successfully embraced a remote legal services model while addressing critical ethical and logistical considerations to best serve our clients. From building trust and maintaining client confidentiality to technology considerations, the following article provides best practices for providing remote legal services. Learn more.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Only 4 days away!! The City Bar Justice Center welcomes you to join its 2021 Gala, “Make Justice a Movement,” on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 from 6:00-6:30pm featuring vibrant artistic performances filmed in iconic spaces of the historic New York City Bar Association building. On this special evening, we are proud to honor Kirkland & Ellis and Morgan Stanley with our 2021 City Bar Justice Awards for their leadership and dedication to pro bono and public service, especially in connection with their significant contributions to our COVID-19 response initiatives.Register here to attendand don't miss the sneak peek below!
From Pandemic to Prosperity for Small Businesses: On Monday, May 24, 2021 from 3:00-4:30pm CBJC’s Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project is partnering with Citi Private Bank and the New York City Bar Association’s United Nations Committee and African Affairs Committee for a live webinar discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses. The session will include a dialogue with finance and legal experts who will share strategies, best practices, and insight on the path forward. Click hereto register.
We are excited to introduce you to CBJC’s newest team members! Welcome!
The newsletter editor is Cheryl Lopez, the City Bar Justice Center's Communication and Development Manager. For questions you may reach her at cheryllopez@nycbar.org.
