City Bar Justice Center’s Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project for the Eastern District of New York Celebrates a Decade of Service

Contact 
Anthony Johnson 
City Bar Justice Center 
anthonyjohnson@nycbar.org 

New York, March 31, 2025 – The City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, is celebrating a decade of service for its Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY). In partnership with pro bono volunteers from small and large law firms and corporations, the Project serves an average of 370 litigants with more than 400 individual matters annually. About 75 judges and court personnel, volunteers, and other members of the Bar gathered with Justice Center staff to mark the project’s anniversary and honor its impact during a courthouse celebration on March 27.  

Proposed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom in 2014, the Project set out to provide limited scope assistance to self-represented litigants who have or are thinking of commencing a civil case in federal court. With support from the Board of Judges and the Eastern District Civil Litigation Fund, the project officially launched on March 26, 2015. 

Jean Soo Park became the Project’s third director in August 2021. Under her supervision, the Project provides pro se plaintiffs and defendants with brief legal counseling and reviews draft pleadings and correspondence with the Court on matters such as civil rights, employment discrimination, and disability discrimination. Because many, if not most, pro se litigants represent themselves because they do not have the economic resources to hire an attorney, the Project’s presence in the Eastern District over the past ten years has helped address the gap faced by individuals seeking to access the justice system. 

Park described the care and attention given to each litigant and their matter while speaking at the celebration. 

“While our immediate team is lean, our service is effectively given with the partnership of colleagues, pro bono volunteers, and interns. We see the rewarding impact of our work daily, which comes with its challenging and humbling moments.” 

During his remarks, City Bar Justice Center executive director Kurt M. Denk emphasized the scale of the project’s services. 

 “Thanks to the hard work of our staff and volunteers over the past decade on matters that matter to the litigants we serve, our EDNY Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project has provided services benefiting enough people to fill more than half of Madison Square Garden, and we’re keeping at it.” 

The EDNY project operates on-site at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York’s courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201. If you are interested in learning more about the project or volunteering, please contact Jean Soo Park at jpark@nycbar.org.  

New Yorkers in the Eastern District who are seeking assistance can contact (212) 382-4729 to see if the project is the right fit for their needs.  

About the City Bar Justice Center  

The City Bar Justice Center furthers access to justice by addressing unmet civil legal needs of New Yorkers struggling with poverty and other systemic socioeconomic barriers. The Justice Center’s dozen civil justice projects are led by a staff of dedicated attorneys and support professionals who provide high-quality civil legal services through brief advice and information, referrals, and both limited scope and extended representation that benefit more than 27,000 New Yorkers each year who cannot afford to hire counsel. www.citybarjusticecenter.org