NJSBF.org - Campaign to Keep Law Center "Vital" into 21st Century

Campaign to Keep Law Center "Vital" into 21st Century

CAMPAIGN KEEPING LAW CENTER ‘VITAL’ INTO THE 21^ST CENTURY

The New Jersey Law Center, home to the state’s legal professionals and wide-ranging legal education programs for the public, is undergoing a technological and structural facelift aimed at turning the 20-year-old building into a state-of-the-art facility poised for future advances. With the launch of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s multi-million dollar fundraising effort Forever Vital : The Campaign for the New Jersey Law Center, the Foundation seeks to raise enough money to fully upgrade the Law Center and establish a permanent endowment to support a 20-year maintenance plan and provide for unforeseen needs.

State-of-the-Art Technology

“Accessibility for everyone is the key focus,” said campaign chair Thomas R. Curtin. “The first major step is in place: the Law Center is now Wi-Fi accessible, which is tremendously exciting.” Creating work spaces for lawyers visiting the building is only the beginning. In the pipeline are plans to redesign the lobby, complete with a sleek entranceway and way-directing plasma screens; renovate the auditorium and conference rooms to allow Internet broadcast and video production capabilities; engineer simulcasting to other rooms when programs draw overflow crowds; and enable distance learning via off-site access to programming.

The Legal Community’s Legacy of Commitment: Hess and Gibbons Pave the Way

The New Jersey Law Center is home not only to its owner, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, but also to the New Jersey State Bar Association, the IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts) Fund of New Jersey, the Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law and the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program. In fact, the Law Center serves more than 25,000 legal professionals and 15,000 members of the public on-site annually. Staying current with their evolving needs and keeping alive the vision that led to the opening of the Law Center 20 years ago requires a continuous commitment.

Fortunately, steadfast commitment from the legal community has proved to be the lifeblood of the Law Center, from its inception when law firms, attorneys, businesses and other generous supporters donated the initial $6 million needed to construct the facility through today’s Forever Vital capital campaign. The Hess Foundation and the Gibbons law firm took the lead early in the new campaign, setting the pace for donations and inspiring other firms and institutions to follow suit. The $1 million pledged by the Hess Foundation at the outset topped all over contributions and will go towards renovating the auditorium, to be named as a tribute to the father and brothers of Hess Foundation president Norma Wilentz Hess. Similarly, Gibbons P.C.’s $500,000 pledge marks the top donation by an individual law firm. In appreciation, a first-floor conference room in the Law Center will be upgraded and renamed the Gibbons Conference Room.

In the wake of the Hess Foundation’s and Gibbons’ philanthropy, other firms, such as McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter and Stark& Stark have stepped up to the plate with generous donations, with the latter’s gift providing wireless Internet access throughout the center.

Honoring the Memory of Matthias D. Dileo

The late Matthias D. Dileo, Esq., was another inspirational figure and longtime champion of the Bar Foundation and the Law Center. Efforts are underway to recognize his decades of dedicated service to the legal profession by renaming the Presidents Conference Room in his honor. The Matthias D. Dileo Memorial Fund, a component of the Forever Vital campaign, has received upwards of $12,000 towards that goal so far.

Forever Vital: The Campaign for the New Jersey Law Center looks forward to broad-based participation by the legal and business communities at every level of giving during this exciting period of new horizons and possibilities. “The donations and pledges we have received thus far represent a great start to what we anticipate will be a highly successful campaign through the years to keep the Law Center at the forefront of legal education for all New Jersey residents,” said Mr. Curtin. “Donations in whatever amount, from firms and individuals, are welcomed and sincerely appreciated. The success of the campaign will ensure that the Law Center remains what it was envisioned to be: the preeminent resource for lawyers and law-related education for everyone. “

In addition to the above donors, other major contributors include Archer & Greiner, Cole Schotz Meisel Forman & Leonard, Coughlin Duffy, DeCotiis Fitzpatrick Cole & Wisler, Day Pitney, Hill Wallace, Lindabury McCormick Estabrook & Cooper, McCarter & English, Porzio Bromberg & Newman, Sills Cummis & Gross and Wolff & Samson. A complete list of donors through September 2008 can be found at www.njsbf.org. Inquiries and donations (checks payable to “New Jersey State Bar Foundation”) should be directed to Angela C. Scheck, Executive Director, New Jersey State Bar Foundation, New Jersey Law Center, One Constitution Square, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Contributions may also be made online at www.njsbf.org. Ms. Scheck can be reached at 732-937-7515 or at ascheck@njsbf.org.

Founded in 1958, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation is the educational and philanthropic arm of the New Jersey State Bar Association. The Foundation’s mission is to promote public understanding of the law through a free, comprehensive public education program. Among its activities, the Foundation conducts seminars and conflict resolution training, publishes materials, operates a videotape loan library and speakers bureau, and coordinates elementary, middle and high school mock trial competitions. For more information about the Foundation’s programs and publications, visit us online at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800-FREE-LAW.

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