VLP Volunteer Attorney Jared Kneitel
Jared Kneitel graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (disciplined in both Electrical Engineering and Materials Science Engineering). He attended the evening division of Fordham University School of Law, from which he graduated in 2005, while applying his engineering skills as a patent agent for a Manhattan law firm during the day.
Most recently, Jared has been representing an alleged war criminal at the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, an international war crimes tribunal. After the close of the evidentiary stages and his return from Africa, Jared began volunteering his time with the VLP while waiting for the judgment (due later this year). He is also an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law.
Since returning to the US, Jared has been an invaluable asset to the VLP, dedicating several days a week to representing family law clients, advising pro se litigants at the Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office CLARO), and advising the many low-income Brooklyn residents who call or visit the VLP office each day.
Tell us a bit about your time in Sierra Leone.
Living in Africa for over two years has given me a different perspective and further endowed me with a desire to give back. Throughout, I’ve endeavored to unearth the truth of the conflict in Sierra Leone and to have what we discovered introduced into evidence. I left Sierra Leone full of stories, professional and personal development, and resolve.
When did you first learn about the VLP and what types of pro bono cases have you handled through the VLP?
I first learned of the VLP in 2006 when I volunteered for a short stint prior to heading to Sierra Leone. The VLP’s flexible approach to accommodating volunteer attorneys easily allowed me to come back into the fold while back in the United States awaiting judgment.
While with the VLP, I’ve handled a variety of family law cases and have had the great pleasure of counseling clients on consumer debt issues through CLARO – the Civil Legal Advice Resource Office. CLARO has been tremendously rewarding, especially in our present economic climate, and I truly enjoy helping debtors to shield themselves from aggressive and oftentimes dishonest collection agencies.
Why do you do pro bono work?
It just feels right to empower members of the community that might not know their legal rights or otherwise not have access to remedies in the legal system. It is an understatement that a little effort goes a very long way for the people the VLP helps.
What would you tell other attorneys who are thinking about volunteering with the VLP?
The VLP is a fantastic organization. If you are an attorney and thinking of giving back to the community, the VLP is perfect for you.
