The Honorable Judith H. Wizmur Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project is funded by the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation and New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation.
Third-year Rutgers Law School student Juliana Koster was honored for her outstanding commitment to public service at The Honorable Judith H. Wizmur Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast in Camden.
Koster was honored with the Robert J. Cooper Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project Excellence Award. Created in recognition of the 1992 Rutgers Law graduate's long-standing commitment and contributions to The Honorable Judith H. Wizmur Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project, the Cooper Award acknowledges a Rutgers Law student who has shown exceptional dedication and has made significant contributions to the Project.
"This award is not based on caseload, but rather on excellence in the performance of duties through the Project," said Koster's nominators. "Juliana came prepared and informed. She asked good questions as she went through the petition to clear up her own confusion."
“My experience with the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project has been extraordinarily gratifying because I have been able to be a kind face to people going through one of the toughest experiences of their lives," said Koster.
Koster is also the president of the Student Bar Association.
Through the Project, generously funded by the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation and New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation, student volunteers team with pro bono attorneys to assist low-income clients seeking bankruptcy relief.
“The Bankruptcy Pro Bono project is a chance to leverage resources for the greater good. In leveraging our time, knowledge, and enthusiasm, we do our small part in ensuring against the possibility that only those with financial means may seek equal protection under the law," said second-year law student Vance Stephens.
Rutgers Law students, like Koster and Stephens, gain valuable real-world experience through hands-on involvement in our free and low-cost programs for people and organizations in need. Over the course of the past academic year, our students provided more than 150,000 hours of free legal services to our local communities.