Rutgers Law-Camden Assistant Dean Receives Honor from Philadelphia Legal Services Organization

For Immediate Release

CAMDEN --  Eve Biskind Klothen, assistant dean for pro bono and public interest programs at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden, has been named the recipient of a 2011 Outstanding Service Award from Philadelphia VIP, an organization committed to providing community access to justice and legal services.

Klothen will receive the award during a 30^th anniversary celebration for Philadelphia VIP on March 19.  During that ceremony, former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell will receive the organization’s Pinnacle Award.

Since 2002, Klothen has advanced and expanded the portfolio of pro bono and public interest programs at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden, which offers a diverse array of pro bono projects in such areas as bankruptcy, domestic violence, immigration, and more.  The Rutgers–Camden program provides law students with experiential learning opportunities that also serve low-income citizens who otherwise might not have access to the legal support that they need.

Additionally, Rutgers–Camden law students provide Camden teens with an understanding of how the law affects their lives through the Marshall-Brennan Program, whereby Rutgers law students teach constitutional law in Camden high schools, and Street Law, a program that connects Rutgers law students with Camden teens in community settings for discussions about everyday legal matters.

More information about the pro bono programs at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden may be found at camlaw.rutgers.edu/pro-bono.

Under Klothen’s tenure, Rutgers–Camden law students and recent graduates have earned national honors for their work in public interest law, including fellowships from Equal Justice Works, the Independence Foundation, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.  She also teaches at the Rutgers–Camden law school, where she serves on the admissions committee.

“Eve Klothen is an invaluable resource for Rutgers law students and, just as importantly, for the citizens of New Jersey and the metro Philadelphia region,” explains Rayman Solomon, dean of the Rutgers School of Law–Camden.  “This award is highly deserved, and reflects only a portion of the impact that Eve has had on so many lives, both within the legal profession and in our communities.”

Prior to joining the law school staff at the Camden Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Klothen served as founding executive director of the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, a nationally recognized initiative launched jointly by the Philadelphia Bar Association and Community Legal Services.  She also served as a federal agency litigator, and as a legal services attorney.

Klothen serves on various boards and commissions, including City Year Greater Philadelphia and MAZON:  A Jewish Response to Hunger, where she is a past president.  She is a member of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission and the Civil Justice Advisory Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Klothen received her Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt Law School in 1975.  She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1972.

She is a resident of Swarthmore, Pa.

Philadelphia VIP provides legal services for low-income residents and families facing civil legal problems that threaten their basic human needs – shelter, employment, financial stability, education and health. Through its volunteers and staff, VIP serves more than 2,500 individuals and families yearly who could not otherwise afford attorneys and whose cases could or would not be handled by other public interest organizations.

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