Rutgers Law Students are honored at the Mary Philbrook Public Interest Awards ceremony.

Mary Philbrook Public Interest Awards

The Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award is given each fall at a gala celebration in Camden, in recognition of Mary Philbrook, the first woman admitted to the New Jersey Bar. 

Sponsored by the Women’s Law Caucus, the Association for Public Interest Law, the Rutgers Law–Camden Alumni Association, the Burlington County Bar Association, and the Camden County Bar Association, the Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award celebration is a tradition at Rutgers Law School's Camden location that began in 1986.

The 38th Annual Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award Celebration honoring Irv Ackelsberg '76 will take place on Wednesday, October 30th, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ. You can register at go.rutgers.edu/Philbrook2024.

2024 Mary Philbrook Award Honoree: Irv Ackelsberg '76

Irv Ackelsberg, a 1976 graduate of Rutgers Law School, has had a distinguished career in public interest law and exemplifies the values of Mary Philbrook's life. His dedication, creativity, and vision are contagious, and he has left a mark on consumer law for low-income families across the nation. 

For 30 years, Irv was an attorney at Community Legal Services, Inc. (“CLS”) of Philadelphia, generally recognized among the highest quality civil legal aid programs in the country. At CLS, Irv led its Consumer Rights work, developing a national reputation for creative advocacy involving issues such as representation of homeowner victims of mortgage fraud, student victims of fraudulent trade schools, low-wage workers harmed by abusive employment background screening, and community groups battling blight and gentrification.

Portrait of Irv Ackelsberg

Irv didn’t just do this work – he pioneered it. While now the term “predatory lending” and its impact on racial minorities and low-income communities are well known, that is in part because of Irv’s early work to identify the issue, bring it to public attention, and get courts and policy makers to address it. 

This work to confront national problems facing the poor came out of decades ground-level client contact in his beloved North Philadelphia, where he brought deep empathy for the struggles of those who walked into the door looking for help. He was constantly on the look out for the newest consumer scams and thinking of legal strategies, often inventive and novel, to attack them in a way to change systems so as to have a broad impact. 

In addition to leading CLS’s consumer rights and homeownership litigation, Irv was the Managing Attorney of the North Philadelphia office at Broad and Erie.  The office is located in one of the poorest parts of the city (and nation), where Irv ensured that it was open and welcoming, and an essential partner in fighting for justice. For years, he brought a sense of mission and family-like spirit to the staff he led there.

After an unsuccessful run for Philadelphia City Council in 2007, Irv joined the firm Langer Grogan & Diver, a small litigation boutique specializing in antitrust and consumer class actions. A partner at the firm, Irv has continued to fight for consumer and community justice. He developed groundbreaking work to end a secret, national employment database that was unfairly denying jobs to retail workers. He served as special counsel to the Pennsylvania Attorney General in a challenge to a nationwide illegal online lending scheme and developed a class action against the servicer of a fraudulent private student loan program that resulted in a multi-million dollar jury verdict under the federal racketeering statute. He authored two editions of a treatise on Pennsylvania mortgage foreclosure. But Irv says his most satisfying accomplishment while at the firm was working with a coalition of community groups in 2008 to save 11 branches of the Philadelphia Free Library system from a cost-cutting closure plan.

Irv is also active in his Germantown neighborhood and sits on the board of Philadelphia Interfaith, the largest interfaith social justice organization in Pennsylvania.

As Irv gradually eases into retirement, his most satisfying time, outside of dreaming up new lawsuits, is playing his guitar, studying Spanish and spending time with his wife of 50 years (whom he met at Rutgers) and his beautiful family, including three sons and daughters in-law, five grandchildren, and his 96-year old, very proud mom.

Irv Ackelsberg personifies the values of Mary Philbrook and the highest aspirations of Rutgers Law School.

A Tradition of Honoring Public Interest Advocates

  • Mary Philbrook was born in Washington, D.C., on August 6, 1872. The daughter of a feminist and a lawyer, she only received formal education through high school, and a course in stenography. Mary became educated in the law only through a job with the firm of Russ and Oppenheimer, located in Hoboken, N.J., where she met James Minturn, who later became a New Jersey Supreme Court Justice. It was Minturn who encouraged Mary's interest in the law and made a motion for Mary to be admitted to the New Jersey Bar on February 20, 1894. Mary's petition for admittance rested on her rights as a citizen and the equal protection guarantees to citizens of the state. However, she was denied admission by the Court despite the fact that over 300 women were practicing attorneys in 30 other states.

    In 1895, a bill was passed in New Jersey stating that "no person would be denied admission to examination for license to practice as an attorney..." and following another motion by Minturn, Mary was admitted to the New Jersey Bar on June 6, 1895. Subsequently, Mary became the first woman appointed to Chancery Court and the second to be a notary public. In 1906, Mary also became the first New Jersey woman to be admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

    After beginning to practice, Mary began a lecture series in which she endorsed "plain justice," upholding that women not receive any special treatment. She moved her practice to Newark and began working for Legal Aid, as well as championing such causes as child labor reform, extension of the probation system, a state reformatory for women, and separate juvenile courts. Her volunteerism even extended to taking in street children into her own home until she could find adequate placement for them. She participated in investigations into white slavery, leading to the passing of the Mann Act, while also fighting for the right to vote.

    After 1919, however, Philbrook's focus became the complete emancipation of women, especially in New Jersey. She resigned from a position for the City of Newark in protest because she was being treated differently from the men, assigned only cases in family law, and not given the same desk or office space as other legal assistants in the office. During that period, women's rights made many advances, with the adoption of an international treaty by the Pan‐American states at Montevideo.  The treaty included an equal rights provision, and with the 1937 League of Nations Assembly, appointment of a committee to examine the legal status of women around the world. Mary then proceeded to organize several committees and write various petitions to amend the state constitution to include an equal rights provision and reword the preamble to affirm women's rights.  Mary's final major triumph was the replacement of references to "men" in the New Jersey Constitution with references to "persons."

    After prolonged illness, Mary Philbrook passed away on September 2, 1958. We should all be grateful for the many achievements she accomplished throughout her life.

  • 2000:

    • The Honorable Lillian Ransom, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia
    • Frank P. Cervone, Esq., Director, Support Center for Child Advocates, Philadelphia

    2001:

    • Renee Steinhagen, Esq., Executive Director, Public Interest Law Center, New Jersey
    • William H. Buckman, Esq. ‘78, Private Practitioner, Morristown, N.J.

    2002:

    • Alba E. Martinez, Esq., Former Commissioner, Department of Human Services, Philadelphia

    2003:

    • The Honorable Judith H. Wizmur ‘74, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Camden, N.J.

    2004:

    • Judith Bernstein-Baker, Esq,. HIAS and Council, Migration Service of Philadelphia
    • Carole Wood, Esq., Immigration Coordinator, Camden Center for Law and Social Justice

    2005:

    • The Honorable Theodore A. McKee, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

    2006:

    • Catherine C. Carr, Esq., Executive Director, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia

    2007:

    • The Honorable Deborah Poritz (ret.), Chief Justice, New Jersey Supreme Court

    2008:

    • Carol E. Tracy, Esq., Executive Director, The Women’s Law Project, Philadelphia

    2009:

    • Yvonne Smith Segars, Esq., Public Defender for The State of New Jersey

    2010:

    • Drewry Nash Fennell, Executive Director, Delaware Criminal Justice Council

    2011:

    • Harold B. Garwin, Esq., Executive Director, Community Health Law Project

    2013:

    • The Honorable Virginia Long (ret.), Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

    2014:

    • Tiffany Palmer ‘98, Social Justice Activist and Shareholder, Jerner & Palmer, P.C.

    2015:

    • The Honorable Marsha H. Neifield, Presiding Judge of Philadelphia Municipal Court
    • Sally Goldfarb Professor of Law, The Domestic Violence Program, Rutgers Law School

    2016:

    • Michael Taub, Staff Attorney and Director of the Veterans Project of the Homeless Advocacy Project

    2017:

    • Harold Katz '77, Deputy Public Defender, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender
    • Joseph Moran, Acting First Assistant Deputy Public Defender, New Jersey Office of the Public Defender

    2018:

    • Susan L. Burke Senior Counsel, MotleyRice

    2019:

    • Lloyd Freeman '07, Chief Diversity Officer, Archer Law

    2023:

    • Jodina Hicks '02, President, Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania
  • Listed By Law School Graduation Year

    Nii Obeng (Sonny) Ankrah, 1999
    Jacqueline Caban, 1999
    Meredith Schalick, 1999
    Kevin Walsh, 1999
    Jean Connolly, 2000
    Elizabeth Livingstone, 2000
    Kay Radwanski, 2000
    Robert Wright,  2000
    Kelly Coia, 2000
    Susanna Gray, 2000
    Valarie McPherson, 2000
    Karen Francis, 2001
    Christine Heer, 2001
    Danielle Joseph, 2001
    John Price, 2001
    Marisa Krause, 2001
    James Lubrich, 2001
    Zoe McLaughlin, 2001
    Michael Schleigh, 2001
    Mellany Alio, 2002
    Lynne Killmeyer, 2002
    Jodina Hoobler-Hicks, 2002
    Megan Willoughby, 2002
    John Cardwell, 2002
    Sharon L. Piccioni, 2002
    Lisa Raufer, 2002
    Dalia Zaza, 2002
    Ellen Bailey, 2003
    Matt Burns, 2003
    Jared  Littman,  2003
    Blaise  Pittman,  2003
    Debra   Rainey,  2003
    Kimm Tynan, 2003
    Rachel Fais Partyka, 2003
    Stephanie Sanderson, 2003
    Carolyn Buccerone, 2004
    Keith Campbell, 2004
    Trevor Kwan, 2004
    Bill  McLaughlin, 2004
    Belinda  Roberts,  2004
    Krista Trani, 2004
    Oliver Cleary, 2004
    Keith Walsh, 2004
    Matthew Abatemarco, 2005
    William “Rob” Frantz, 2005
    Daniella Gordon, 2005
    Shawnda Grady, 2005
    Maggie Niebler, 2005
    Joseph Turk, 2005
    Temperance Williamson, 2005
    Kristy Hausinger, 2005
    Kyle G. Phillips, 2005
    Macavan Baird, 2006
    Sam Hoffman, 2006
    Amanda M. Lanham, 2006
    Robert “Reb” Loucas, 2006
    Kristina Rencic, 2006
    Jennifer Shamwell, 2006
    Dina Wizmur, 2006
    Lisa Junghahn, 2006
    Kevin Leipow, 2006
    Bridget Coyne, 2007
    David Gallivan, 2007
    Maria Hernandez, 2007
    Jeffrey Klamut, 2007
    Robert O’Brien, 2007
    Matthew Rudolphi, 2007
    Sarah Wang, 2007
    Lloyd Freeman, 2007
    Wesley Huber, 2007
    Kimberly Wong, 2007
    Marissa Band, 2008
    Carrie S. Ford, 2008
    Ariel Gornizky, 2008
    Esther Huang, 2008
    Tiffany Dionne Johnson, 2008
    Zorayda J. Moreira-Smith, 2008
    Catherine Salansky, 2008
    Gregory B. Thomlison, 2008
    Joseph A. Venti, 2008
    Michelle A. Westcoat, 2008
    Lynda Hinkle, 2009
    Shana Mattson, 2009
    Nhan Tu, 2009
    Catherine Williams, 2009
    Conor Wilson, 2009
    Laura Ann Pontelandolfo, 2009
    Melissa Bowe, 2010
    Lisa Geis, 2010
    Amanda Harber, 2010
    Cori Harvey, 2010
    Jonathan Klein, 2010
    Andrew Linenberg, 2010
    Chris   Markos, 2010
    Noah Marlier, 2010
    Melissa  Osorio, 2010
    Jenna Fliszar, 2010
    Suehail   Perez, 2010
    Beverly Beaver, 2011
    Brian Robert Brotman, 2011
    Jason Fortenberry, 2011
    Jeanette Kwon, 2011
    Kate Reilly, 2011
    Michael P. Sawka, 2011
    Erik L. Solivan, 2011
    Michael Christian Younker, 2011
    Jocelyn Fowler, 2011
    Christine McDevitt, 2011
    Theodora Stringham, 2011
    Elliott Almanza, 2012
    Alysa Castro, 2012
    Brandon  Croker,  2012
    Matt  DePasquale,  2012
    Elena Fikaris, 2012
    Jacquie Huynh-Linenberg, 2012
    Wali Rushdan II, 2012
    Brisa De Angulo, 2012
    Parker Palmer, 2012
    Kayci Petenko, 2012
    Abraham Tran, 2012
    Jennifer Kim, 2013
    Jennifer Martin, 2013
    Colleen McCafferty, 2013
    Michael Perez, 2013
    Jonathan Sacks, 2013
    Ryan Schaffer, 2013
    Matan Shmuel, 2013
    Kiomeiry Csepes, 2013
    Amanda Dalton, 2013
    Maura Burk, 2014
    Iveliz Crespo, 2014
    Tiara Greene, 2014
    Samantha Gross, 2014
    Maureen Ingersoll, 2014
    Ragner Jaeger, 2014
    Stephen Raab, 2014
    Amanda Follett, 2014
    Kathleen Kelliher, 2014
    Michelle Ringel, 2014
    Justin Kozinn, 2015
    Matthew Lewis, 2015
    Staven Salinger, 2015
    Amy Sobotka, 2015
    Jacquelyn Suarez, 2015
    Xiomara Uran, 2015
    Alexi Velez, 2015
    Ryann Aaron, 2016
    Linwood Donelson, 2016
    Frantz Duncan, 2016
    Alexis Franklin, 2016
    Caitlin Faye, 2016
    Amanda O'Keefe, 2016
    Jason Kanterman, 2016
    Leigh Kelsey O'Donnell, 2016
    Sade Calin, 2017
    Carly Campoli, 2017
    Mary-Kate Collins, 2017
    Rachel Lamb, 2017
    Kathryn Morris, 2017
    Kisha Pinnock, 2017
    Emily Preziosa, 2017
    Allan Zhang, 2017
    Amanda Deptula, 2017
    Brooke Lewis, 2017
    Anastasia Millicker, 2017
    Christopher Bustamente Osario, 2018
    Daniel Dowdy, 2018
    Blair Gerold, 2018
    Eric Macias Intriago, 2018
    Sandra Reed, 2018
    Domenico Stockton-Rossini, 2018
    Amelia Vangellow, 2018
    Shahidah Williams, 2018
    Michael Berryhill, 2018
    Jessica Beardsley, 2018
    Jacquelyn Corsentino, 2018
    April Gambardella, 2019
    Joanna Gardner, 2019
    Julianna Koster, 2019
    Eric Lee, 2019
    Ariella Levine, 2019
    Ashley Maddison, 2019
    Olivia Nardone, 2019
    Kristen Petagna, 2019
    Christina Schnyer, 2019

    Sarah Ballentince, 2020

    Lauren Bateman, 2020

    Caitlin Flynn, 2020

    Noelle Hanrahan, 2020

    Colin Sheehan, 2020

    Arabelis Brito, 2020

    Nikia Clark, 2020

    Abby Cook, 2020

    Courtney Crosby, 2020

    Derek Demeri, 2020

    Sara Gray, 2020

    Hannah Lee. 2020

    Claire Newsome, 2020

    Ayisha Scales-Bruce, 2020

    Ryan Slocum, 2020

    Liliya Bondarenko, 2021

    Sydney Groll, 2021

    Morgan Humphrey, 2021

    Aryn Keyel, 2021

    Jenise Rivera, 2021

    Jason Stump, 2021

  • The Philbrook Celebration began in 1986, as the successor event to the Rutgers Women’s Law Caucus’ networking dinner. The Rutgers Women’s Law Caucus was founded in the 1970s to advocate for equal treatment for women in the legal profession and in society, educate its members and the law school community about legal issues affecting women’s lives, and provide opportunities for women law students, faculty, attorneys and judges to network with each other. In 1986, at the suggestion of Professor Ann Freedman, its faculty advisor, the Women’s Law Caucus joined with other law school student organizations, interested faculty and alumni to re-invent the WLC’s annual gathering of students, faculty and alumni as the Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award Celebration.

    Professor Robert F. Williams suggested naming the award after Mary Philbrook because of her path-breaking achievements as New Jersey’s first woman lawyer, her role in obtaining the equal rights provision of the 1947 New Jersey state constitution, and her outstanding career as an advocate for social justice and equality. Val Myntti, ’87, the chairperson of the original Philbrook Celebration, and the Honorable Betty J. Lester, of the Superior Court, Essex County, New Jersey, the first Philbrook honoree, helped us start the enjoyable Philbrook tradition of combining a wonderful social occasion with inspiring reflections on a life and career shaped by dedication to the public interest.  Linda J. Wharton, ’81 (also our 1992 Philbrook honoree), and Dean Angela V. Baker, ’85, are members of the first Philbrook organizing committee who continue to be involved today.  

    In 1998, when Professor Louis S. Rulli, ’74, was the Philbrook honoree, the law school’s Alumni Association became a co-sponsor of the event with the Women’s Law Caucus.  The next year, at the suggestion of Professors Rulli and Freedman, the event sponsors inaugurated the Mary Philbrook Student Public Interest Awards, which have allowed the law school community to recognize dozens of outstanding students for their dedicated work on behalf of social justice and equality.  In 2000, the Association for Public Interest Law joined the Women’s Law Caucus and the Alumni Association as a co-sponsor of the program, helping to take the event to another level.  In 2005, the Camden County Bar Association became the event’s fourth official sponsor, and Professor Freedman was honored for her role in promoting the spirit of Mary Philbrook in the Rutgers Law School community and for her ongoing leadership in creating each year’s celebration. 

    From 1986 to the present, the Mary Philbrook Award Celebration has benefited from outstanding leadership on the part of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and members of the bench and bar.  While their names are too numerous to list, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has helped create the distinctive tradition which has now continued for a quarter of a century. 

    Over the years, Lisa Alston, Diana Avella, Jay Cholera, Linda Comuso, Christen Conway, Kate Cranston, Susan Doughty, Rob Goodman, Theresa McCuen, Colleen McNally, Pam Mertsock-Wolfe, Teresa Moffett, Zaharati Morfesis, Donna Rabena, Jane W. Rhodes and Carol Shaner have provided staff support above and beyond the call of duty.  The Campus Center staff, Dining, Events Office, Facilities, Rutgers Camden IT, and Media Relations Departments have provided expert and invaluable assistance.  Associate Chancellor Mary Beth Daisey, the Honorable Jack  Sabatino, Deans Victoria Chase and Angela V. Baker, and Professor John Beckerman have assumed critical leadership roles and helped mentor the students involved in creating the event.

    Former Assistant Dean Eve Biskin Klothen played an important role in embedding the Philbrook celebration in the law school’s culture, expanding the event’s support for student public interest work and strengthening ties with the legal community. Special thanks are due to the outstanding honorees who have graced us with their presence and inspired us by their work, as well as to Chancellor Phoebe Haddon, former Chancellor Wendell Pritchett and former Deans John Pittenger, Rick Singer, Paul Robinson, Roger Dennis (also our former Provost), Jay Feinman, Rayman Solomon (another former Provost), John Oberdiek, and current co-deans Michael Cahill and Ron Chen, who have always provided generous support, financial and otherwise, to make this event possible.