There are a lot of things that LIFT (Legal Information for Families Today) and John Jay College have in common. Both LIFT and John Jay aim to make justice and education accessible to everyone, regardless of income, race, gender, status, or sexual orientation. And, both LIFT and John Jay reach out to underrepresented populations, especially low-income households, to help them better their lives. Appreciating these similar objectives, LIFT honored John Jay President Karol V. Mason at their Gala on May 15.

The event, held at New York City’s trendy Tribeca Rooftop, also honored Susan B. Lindenauer, former General Counsel of The Legal Aid Society of New York, and Proskauer, LIFT’s inaugural pro bono partner. Four John Jay Pre-Law Institute (PLI) students were invited as guest of Wendy Dessy, LIFT Board of Directors Member, and Proskauer. The students, Nicolette Brown, Shanil Capellan, Kelly Huie, and Sharna McKenzie, all enjoyed meeting the attorneys, judges, and advocates at the event, as they nibbled on fancy hors d’oeuvres and took in the City view from the roof deck. “I’ve never been to an event this fancy before,” said Brown. “I hope to become a lawyer one day, so this is really inspiring for me.”

When Cathy A. Cramer, LIFT Chief Executive Officer, took to the stage, she first thanked the “weather goddess” for the near-perfect weather allowing everyone to enjoy the rooftop, then she explained LIFT’s mission. “LIFT’s sweet spot is to work with families who cannot solve their issues on their own. They need to come to court, and they come to court for issues related to child support, for custody and visitation problems, for help with guardianship, and also for issues about domestic violence,” said Cramer. “Eighty percent of families who come to family court, come without lawyers. And most of them have few options to obtain one. And that’s where LIFT comes in. LIFT provides legal advice and council to these men, women, grandparents, and any other relatives.”  

Cramer went on to highlight LIFT’s mission through a story about one of their clients—a mother who found herself in family court hoping to get child support. Her ex-husband, who was a major league baseball player, had stopped making child support payments. “The mom had a lawyer who was not paying any attention to her case, and she was running out of money. She even contemplated filing for public assistance. She ultimately fired her lawyer and found LIFT. With LIFT’s support, over the next two years, the mom was able to obtain a support order, and ultimately get an arrest warrant against the father for non-payment. Although the father was not in the United States, he had an investment account in New York City,” Cramer said with a smile, as the many lawyers in the room chuckled knowing which way the story was going. “Our attorney worked with the client to get a lean on that account. She ultimately got a check for what was owed to her for her child. Guess how much that check was for—$60,000.” Cramer went on to describe the many services that LIFT provides for free, from helplines to one-on-one consultations. “This limited representation model makes LIFT particularly unique and allows us to reach almost 30,000 litigants a year,” said Cramer. “That’s a huge number for a very small organization.”

William C. Silverman, LIFT Board of Directors Chair, not only presented Lindenauer with her award, but he also helped put the issue of justice in sharp focus. “Why is it acceptable that 80 percent of litigants in New York City family court are unrepresented? Why do we tolerate insufficient resources in family court? Why do we tolerate a lack of judges in family court? Where is the sense of urgency? My father was a sociologist, and if he were here today, he would point to the number of studies that show, over the past many decades, a decline in shared values, a decline in civic engagement, a decline in faith in institutions, and a growing disparity in wealth among Americans,” said Silverman. “All of this taken together means that a lot of people in this country believe that it’s a zero-sum game. That we’re all in it for ourselves, without any shared purpose.” He went on to say that this lack of a shared purpose makes fighting injustice very difficult, but that supporting organizations like LIFT helps restore faith in institutions. “In my eight years on the board of LIFT, we have not turned down a single person seeking advice in a family court case,” said Silverman. “And we’re evolving with legal technologies that will provide legal services throughout the whole state.”

Before presenting Mason with her award, Dessy summed up our President’s passion perfectly. “I’ve heard Karol speak to filled auditoriums with leaders in the fields of law and criminal justice, and ballrooms filled with members of the private sector. All of these speeches have been informative and moving, but none have been as memorable as when she’s talking with or about her students,” said Dessy. “When I asked her if she’d consider being our keynote speaker, her reply was immediate. She said, ‘Yes, but can I bring students?’ I am pleased to say we have four John Jay students from Proskauer’s Lawyering for Social Justice Class here tonight. Karol’s commitment for supporting the advancement of all students at John Jay is unwavering.” 

True to form, when Mason took the mic, she drew the crowd in with a student’s story. She told the audience about a graduating John Jay senior named Kenya. She explained that Kenya had experienced domestic violence—an issue that LIFT helps navigate in family court—and that Kenya never found the help she needed in family court, resulting in a wrongful incarceration and a long separation from her daughter. The crowd applauded loudly hearing that Kenya was acquitted of all charges and is now a graduating honor’s student preparing for the LSAT. Mason showed just how much LIFT and John Jay have in common by saying, “What Kenya went through is unconscionable and the resiliency of this remarkable young woman astounds me. But I can’t help but think, what would have happened if Kenya had the guidance and support of LIFT when she first when to family court?” said Mason. “I know that we can’t go back in time, and I know that Kenya is going to go on to do incredible things. But I also know that there are many more ‘Kenyas’ out there, and it makes me feel better knowing that LIFT is going to be there for them. At LIFT, you’re empowering underserved populations by educating them about our complex family court system. Thank you for everything that you do to advance justice and serve our common communities.”