Dear Friend,

I don't know about you, but in the past week to ten days, it's felt to me like the seasons are unsure where we are - whether still in a slow shift from a mild late summer to a long lingering autumn, or a quick trip to a chilly first taste of winter. Truth be told, transitions are often like that: they move in fits and starts, they're meandering rather than linear, and sometimes we're just not sure we're ready for what's next. I feel this at home - my son began first grade back in September, and it's only now that we're all finally settling into a new routine - and I feel it at work, too, as the Justice Center team labors with creativity and tenacity to continue serving our client communities amidst rapid political change and the impact of the longest-ever government shutdown.

Amidst it all, we continue to engage our pro bono partner community, as well, in ways old and new over the last few months. Our newest event, 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆, raised over $40,000 to support our work. We also presented ten honors at a longtime staple of our October calendar, our Celebrate Pro Bono Awards, and just last week, our Veterans Assistance Project held its 10th annual Veterans Day Celebration and Ethics CLE.

We also welcomed new members to our team, including a new director for our Shelter Advocacy Project, who you'll read about below. And to ensure that the public hears about the impact of our work on those it's our mission to serve, our advancement team has been hard at work sharing our latest client stories. If there's a day when the news really gets you down, pick yourself up with a quick read about positive outcomes for clients whose stories really shine a ray of hope!

As the year-end holiday season approaches, the Justice Center wants to make doubly sure the communities we serve maintain access to high-quality, free legal services. To help us continue our mission, please do all you can to give as generously as you can to our Giving Tuesday appeal on December 2nd. It will kick-start our Year-End Appeal, and signal to those we serve that we'll be here for them in 2026 through thick and thin.

We appreciate your dedication to our organization, and wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving!

Best regards, 

Kurt M. Denk 

Executive Director 



EVENTS

On Wednesday, September 17, the City Bar Justice Center hosted its inaugural 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 fundraiser at Magic Hour Rooftop in Midtown Manhattan. With the help of our Pro Bono Leadership Council, the event raised over $40,000 to support the Justice Center's work to provide free, high-quality legal aid to New Yorkers! Read more here.

The City Bar Justice Center held its 2025 Celebrate Pro Bono Awards on Tuesday, October 21. Each year, the Justice Center recognizes volunteers from our dozen civil justice projects who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to our clients and embody our team's mission to advance access to justice. Ten awards were presented at the ceremony by Timothy C. Nash, Jr., Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Leadership Council. You can find an extended recap of the night on our website, including remarks from the Honorable Karen Lin, Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Civil Term - Queens County.

The City Bar Justice Center's 2025 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awardees 🏆

Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw Projects

Marie Hopkins, Assistant General Counsel at AIG

Consumer Bankruptcy Project

Schuyler Carroll, Partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP

Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project (EDNY)

Sarah Park, Senior Counsel at the Hearst Corporation

Immigrant Justice Project

Amanda B. Asaro, Associate at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Elizabeth Platonova, Associate at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project

Jonathan Kim, Partner at Dechert LLP

Shelter Advocacy Project

Esther Lutaya Mafouta March, Legal Analyst

Veterans Assistance Project

Joe Marshall, Associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Homeowner Stability Project - Latham & Watkins LLP Team Award

Blake Denton, Partner

Herman Yue, Partner

Amanda Kurzydlowski, Associate

Bradley Puffenbarger, Associate

Chloe Kim, Associate

Elizabeth Cangialosi, Associate

Kendall Krumme, Associate

Melange Gavin, Associate

Ryan Schachne, Associate

Monday Night Law - Lifetime Achievement Award

Russ Bleemer, Consultant Editor at the International Institute for

Conflict Prevention and Resolution

The City Bar Justice Center held its 10th annual Veterans Day Celebration and Ethics CLE on Wednesday, November 12 in support of the Veterans Assistance Project. This event serves to educate our dedicated staff and pro bono volunteers about the complex intersection of legal, moral, and professional considerations that attorneys must navigate when advocating for veterans and their survivors before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The main program, "Ethics of Representing Veterans & Survivors Before the Department of Veterans Affairs," was led by Makedah K. Salmond, Director of the Veterans Assistance Project. Read further about the night here.

STAFFING UPDATES

The City Bar Justice Center is pleased to introduce Amelia Toledo as the next director of the Shelter Advocacy Project. Toledo succeeds Jennifer Quijano, who departed the Justice Center earlier this year.

Toledo first joined the Justice Center in 2018 as a staff attorney for the Legal Hotline, and more recently provided part-time support to the Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project for the Eastern District of New York. In her new role, Toledo will provide advice, advocacy, and limited-scope representation on urgent and unmet legal needs of people experiencing homelessness in New York City.

Click to learn more about Amelia!

From Public Health to the Birth Room: A Doula's Journey in Entrepreneurship

With a background in public health, Terry Wong always knew that she wanted to make a difference in her community.

Click to read about how this native New Yorkers' doula experience led her down the path of entrepreneurship after attending a clinic hosted by the Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project.

GIVING TUESDAY ❤️

#GivingTuesday is on December 2nd! Follow us that day as we share a story of home and heart. We invite you to support our work to provide free legal aid to New Yorkers, and when you donate on Giving Tuesday, you’ll unlock a matching gift from a group of generous donors!