Interlaw Cares in Action: Championing Social Justice and Equality

New Jersey, US   

Pashman Stein Walder Hayden (PSWH), Interlaw’s partner firm in New Jersey, US, has always held the belief that lawyers have a responsibility to serve the public good. Here Deanna L. Koestel, partner at PSWH, explains more about the firm’s commitment to advancing justice and equity in the communities in which it serves.   

In 2019, PWSH established the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center - a bold step for our firm, which had just over 50 lawyers at the time. The launch of The Stein Center, which is designed to support Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 10 – Quality Education, Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities - demonstrated our commitment to public impact litigation and pro bono work that drives systemic change.   

Through The Stein Center, our firm addresses critical issues that advance social, racial, and economic justice and equality, protect civil liberties and constitutional rights, and promote an open and transparent government.  

Impact in Action   

Since its launch, The Stein Center has proudly acted on several important social justice matters.   

These include a landmark lawsuit, Latino Action Network, et al. v. State of New Jersey, No. MER-L-1076-18 (N.J. Super. Ct. Mercer Cty. Oct. 6, 2023), where the Stein Center tackled school segregation in New Jersey, aiming to remedy unconstitutional de facto segregation affecting hundreds of thousands of students in the state, ensuring every student had equal access to opportunity. The Stein Center has further advocated and won the right to free and public education for people with disabilities in Bd. of Educ. of Sparta v. M.N. ex rel. A.D., 258 N.J. 333 (2024).   

The Stein Center has also helped to promote gender equality by advancing the rights of sexual assault survivors through groundbreaking legal standards in cases including C.R. v. M.T., 248 N.J. 428 (2021); C.R. v M.T., N.J. _ (2024).   

Finally, The Stein Center was successful in several cases that led to decisions to eliminate racial profiling and unconscious bias, including State v. Andujar, 247 N.J. 275 (2021) and State v. Nyema; State v. Myers, 249 N.J. 509 (2022). The team has also sought to promote transparency and accountability in law enforcement policies, paving the way for greater accountability and justice for marginalized communities, in cases including Richard Rivera v. Union County Prosecutor’s Office, 250 N.J. 124 (2022) and CoreCivic Inc v. Governor of New Jersey, 23-2598 (3d Cir.).   

Making a real difference to local communities   

Since its inception, The Stein Center has contributed over 20,000 pro bono hours towards public interest cases, shaping the law for future generations and inspiring others to join the fight for justice, while providing our attorneys the opportunity to work on high profile cases that matter to them.   

For the lawyers at PSWH, these goals aren’t just a professional commitment, they are a cultural ethos that unites our entire team, instilling purpose and passion in everything we do.  Together, we are proving that “justice for all” is more than a phrase, it’s a call to action.