About Us
Essex County Legal Aid Association ("ECLAA") is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to providing free emergency legal advice related to civil matters including landlord/tenant, consumer and family law issues.
Incorporated in 1920, the ECLAA is here to ensure that poverty is not an impenetrable barrier to civil justice.
Staff
Yvette Gibbons, Esq. - Executive Director
Debra Cannella, Esq.
Ingrid Enriquez, Esq.
Gladys Moriarty, Esq.
Karen Jackons, Adm.
Fundraising
Yvette Gibbons, Esq.
Board of Directors
Robert M. Rich, Esq.
Sole proprietor law practice
ECLAA Board President
John Meyer SVP & Divisional Manager, Commercial Banking
Valley National Bank
ECLAA Board VP
Steven D. Fleissig, Esq.
Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig LLP
ECLAA Board Treasurer
Michael D. Thompson, Esq.
Partner
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
ECLAA Board Secretary
Michael R. Clarke, JD, CCEP
VP, Global Chief Compliance Officer & Deputy General Counsel
ConvaTec
ECLAA Board Member
Francis M. Giantomasi, Esq.
Counsel
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC
ECLAA Board Member
Hon. Ned M. Rosenberg, J.S.C. (Ret.)
Of Counsel
Lentz & Gengaro LLP
Board Member
Chris J. Murphy, Esq.
Partner
Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP
ECLAA Board Member
Maureen Winograd
Exec Director, ECBA (retired) and former Secretary, LSF
Trustee Emerita
David Goodman
Partner
National Publisher Services LLC
Trustee Emeritus
Who we are -- now and for the past 101 years
If you are poor and live in Essex County NJ, the people at ECLAA are committed to providing you with free emergency legal advice related to civil matters -- like landlord/tenant issues, consumer matters, and family law issues triggered by COVID, etc.
Incorporated in 1920, the Essex County Legal Aid Association is here to assure that poverty is not an impenetrable barrier to civil justice. We are celebrating our 101st anniversary this year.
How can we provide free legal advice and/or representation to low-income clients? We need support from foundations, law firms, individuals, etc. Please donate here on Benevity, particularly if you work at a company that matches employees' charitable giving.
Key ECLAA support in 2020 came from the IOLTA Fund and CFNJ again, and from CARES Act and other public/private COVID-inspired grants. In 2021, ECLAA became a provider of free legal services to low-income Newark tenants referred to us by the City of Newark's Office of Tenant Legal Services for immediate advice and full representation. We are honored to have earned OTLS' trust, as well as that of a new supporter in 2021-- the Santander Foundation.
Please look at some of our clients' cases by clicking on the "About our clients" section of this site. These are specific examples of who we help and what our support means to them.
And please use our "Make a donation" page to support the work we do. Thank you.
If you would like to nominate someone to serve on the ECLAA board who can help ensure that we get the financial support needed to cover current operations or perhaps even broaden our services based on additional funding, please contact Yvette Gibbons at ygibbons@eclaanj.org or at (862) 622-6219.
PLEASE HELP ASSURE THAT POVERTY IS NOT AN IMPENETRABLE BARRIER TO CIVIL JUSTICE IN ESSEX COUNTY N.J.
$150 = the total cost for an Essex County Legal Aid Association attorney to help a low-income client for free
