The New Jersey State Bar Foundation has awarded grants to four New Jersey nonprofit organizations to fund a post-graduate law fellow to work with the organization on public interest legal matters and to develop advocacy skills. In addition, the Foundation has awarded second year grant funding to the 2024 recipients – Make the Road New Jersey, Fair Share Housing and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice – to continue the work started last year.
Law fellows work on a project for the nonprofit that has an educational component, addresses multiple areas of community need and aligns with the Foundation’s law-related education mission.
Here is what this year’s recipients shared about their Law Fellow opportunity:
Laurie Bartolomeo – Rutgers – Camden ’25 – will join Disability Rights New Jersey and represent IOLTA-eligible youth from underrepresented backgrounds (race, socio-economic status, and disability) in special education and disability-related matters as part of the Youth Justice Project.
“Gaining real-world, practical experience in advocating for marginalized and/or disabled students will help me develop and apply skills to help as many young people as possible. Working with Disability Rights New Jersey to provide educate and provide direct representation to referred individuals in need of school-based advocacy will help vulnerable youth and their caregivers.”
Katherine Considine – Seton Hall ’24 – will join the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and will focus on upholding the rule of law and empowering immigrant families in New Jersey during a period of anticipated changes in immigration law and enforcement patterns.
“With the help of the NJSBF Fellowship, I can apply my passion and experience in representing immigrants and the research and writing skills to expand the resources available to empower New Jersey’s immigrant families. I am passionate about upholding civil rights and liberties, and legal skills and look forward to contributing to the ACLU-NJ’s essential work to protect the legal rights of New Jersey’s immigrant communities.”
Adaneka Witter Judge – Rutgers – Newark ’25 – will join Volunteer Lawyers for Justice to provide free education and direct legal services to low-income older adults in Essex County.
“This fellowship provides me with the opportunity to advocate for the rights of older adults, ensuring they receive the legal protections they deserve so that they can avoid homelessness and instability. I look forward to working with the VLNJ team to fulfill its mission to mobilize volunteers to work alongside staff to address critical legal needs across New Jersey for the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Kayalyn Kibbe – Rutgers – Newark ‘25 – will join Northeast New Jersey Legal Services to ensure for low-income LGBTQIA+ residents of Bergen, Hudson and Passaic Counties have access to a wide array of legal information and direct representation, including legal services related to the legal name change process, housing access, and public benefits.
“I am grateful to NJSBF for this fellowship. As a non-binary law student, I am extremely passionate about providing legal education to transgender and non-binary New Jerseyans. Being a part of the Northeast New Jersey Legal Services team gives me an opportunity to continue to use the skills I gained as a student and legal intern to make a real difference in my community.”
Funding for the NJSBF Law Fellowship grant program is made possible through the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey. More about the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s grants and cosponsorships can be found at cosponsor.njsbf.org.
Originally published April 14, 2025
Bar Report of the New Jersey State Bar Association