BBA Volunteer Lawyers Project now named Access Justice Brooklyn

July 18, 2022 Robert Abruzzese, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project has a new name: Access Justice Brooklyn. Heidi Lee Henderson, the group’s president and CEO said that she wanted the group's name to better reflect its mission of helping people to know their rights and access legal help. Photos courtesy of Access Justice Brooklyn

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The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project has always been a bit of a mouthful and slightly confusing, as it had long ceased its partnership with the Brooklyn Bar Association. From now on, one of the borough’s largest legal organizations will simply be known as Access Justice Brooklyn (AJB).

“I am incredibly excited that we are now Access Justice Brooklyn, a name that reflects our vision of an equitable Brooklyn where everyone knows their rights and has access to legal support,” said Heidi Lee Henderson, president and CEO of AJB.

“Our new brand and brand strategy positions us to better serve our clients and support our volunteers and highlights the role that everyone has in ensuring that the justice system is accessible to all. With our new identity and name, we are poised to make an even greater impact throughout Brooklyn.”

The group started out of the Brooklyn Bar Association in 1990, however, the two associations have long since ceased their partnership despite leaving the BBA officially in the name. Despite the now official name change, the group will still be working hard to provide Brooklynites with volunteer attorneys.

Board Chair Lynn Judell.

“Our transformation to Access Justice Brooklyn is a culmination of a year-long effort to ensure that our name accurately reflects our critical work and our core values,” said Board Chair Lynn Judell.

“I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our staff and board not only for their work on this rebranding project, but for their continuing and unwavering commitment to serving our Brooklyn neighbors in need. It is a constant source of pride, joy and honor to chair the board of Access Justice Brooklyn – I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this amazing organization.”

Access Justice Brooklyn is focused on providing low-income Brooklynites with free attorneys. The group also trains attorneys for continuing legal education credit in exchange for volunteering on cases. Over the last year, AJB said it has helped 8,409 New Yorkers, trained 205 volunteers including attorneys, and a total of 6,287 hours were volunteered overall.

The group’s focus is on cases involving advanced life planning, consumer debt and bankruptcy, family stabilization, homeowner assistance, immigration and other senior assistance. Deed fraud and estates worth less than $50,000 are two of their busier areas of practice.

Director of Legal Services Sidney Cherubin

They’re hiring too!

Now that the group is off and running under a new name it may be a good time to send in your resume– as it is looking to hire a staff attorney for its consumer law practice.

The attorney will oversee its Volunteer Lawyer for the Day Consumer Debt Program, which is run out of the Kings County Civil Court and works with the director of legal services and staff to help people with chapter 7 bankruptcy, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act practice, and The Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO).

Go to their website https://www.accessjusticebrooklyn.org/ for more information on the job listing.

Sign up to golf with the KCCBA

The Kings County Criminal Bar Association is holding its annual golf outing on August 11 at Marine Park Golf Course.

The KCCBA annual golf outing is always a popular summer event for the legal community and costs just $230 per golfer and $900 per foursome, hole sponsorships are available for $300. There will be plenty of golfing, drinks and food trucks with free grub.

If you are interested in attending, please email KCCBA President Darran Winslow at [email protected] or Executive Vice President Paul Hirsch at [email protected].

Robert Abruzzese is the former Legal Editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Director of Member Services at the Brooklyn Bar Association. In addition to writing this column, he currently attends Touro Law Center and is a Legal Administrative Assistant at the Cavallo Firm, PLLC. You can reach him via email at [email protected].