COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER - Key Persons
was born and raised in Hunterdon County. He attended Rutgers University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Economics. His desire to help aid and advocate for those who are mentally ill, intellectually or developmentally disabled, and those with spectrum disorders arose through having afflicted family members, as well as from volunteering with Getting Together, an emotional wellness group based in Flemington, NJ, and The Arc Mercer, based in Ewing, NJ. Adriaan hopes to combine his interests and background, and pursue law school, with a focus on public health and public policy.
Carrie Ann has been admitted to both New Jersey and Pennsylvania bars and has received accreditation to appear before the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her passion for public interest law has led her to the Community Justice Center where her ambition has driven her in helping those in need while working to make an meaningful difference in social justice. During her work at the Community Justice Center, she has been fully trained in numerous crises that come with addiction, post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, She has also participated in and completed the Institute of Family Professionals' series course Enhancing Trauma Awareness. This course has instilled in Carrie Ann a better understanding of trauma and its impact, which has led to more effective strategies in handling sensitive issues. She hopes to spread the knowledge and understanding she gained through this training and looks forward to continuing to educate herself on this important topic. You can read her article Enhancing Trauma Awareness Enhances Lives of Our Clients here.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Affiliate Leader Spotlight
was born and raised in the small farming town of Ringoes, New Jersey. Two decades later she found herself embarking on one of her lifelong callings - to become an agent for progressive justice. The law, it turns out, would become her weapon of choice. Melissa was drawn to civil rights law and Rutgers School of Law-Newark by the inspiration of the legendary, late professor and "people's lawyer", Arthur Kinoy. During her time at law school and upon graduation, she received the Charles J. Stamler Award, the Eli Jarmel Memorial Prize, and the Eric Neisser Public Interest Program's Pro Bono Award, all for her dedication and contributions toward public interest law and the law school community. As a recipient of the Equal Justice America Legal Services Fellowship and the Haywood Burns Fellowship, Melissa was able to experience firsthand the power of collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to legal advocacy, working with veteran activists and organizers, first at the Maurice and Jane Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice in Detroit, and then at the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights in Greenville. In 2004, in an effort to raise funds for public interest scholarships, Melissa created a quilt commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, and honoring the legacy of community lawyering at Rutgers-Newark. The quilt raised $5,000 and now hangs in the school's lobby.
Since admittance to the bar in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in Fall 2005 until January of 2009, she worked as a Staff Attorney at the Community Health Law Project, representing indigent, disabled people in a variety of civil matters in Central New Jersey. Melissa founded, and now serves as Executive Director of, the Community Justice Center. She has been accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel and admitted to appear in VA courts, along with the Supreme Court of the United States. Melissa is a member of the Mercer County Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association and its Section on Military and Veterans Affairs, the American Bar Association, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives.
Melissa was awarded the 2010 Young Lawyer Service to the Community Award by the New Jersey State Bar Association at its Annual Convention in Atlantic City, and the 2018 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award from The Russell Berrie Foundation. In 2021, the Foundation selected her to be part of its 25 for 25 series, showcasing 25 of its favorite recipients in celebration of its 25th Anniversary. For both of these accolades, Melissa was featured on the NJTV/PBS show State of Affairs and One-on-One with Steve Adubato. Most recently, Melissa was honored by the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey with the 2024 Irene Parisi Humanitarian Award, which recognizes "individuals who embody the ethics of kindness and benevolence in accepting people for who they are and working to abolish biased social views and prejudices".
Many returning veterans in New Jersey have experienced combat-related Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), often to such a degree that immediate employment is not feasible without first addressing the medical concerns. A victim of TBI and PTSD herself, Melissa knows firsthand the complications that come from these illnesses, having survived a near-fatal car accident in 2004. Among the many injuries, her head was crushed, and her vision and face destroyed, with her mental health and brain function in question. Countless surgeries and rehabilitative therapies later, she emerged, but not without an acute understanding of what it is like to be disabled, and to be forced to fight endlessly for her entitlements while incredibly ill, medicated, and just trying to get better. Her personal battles allow her insight that sets her apart-and give the clients of the Community Justice Center both hope and trust. In her, they find a type of support and understanding difficult to find elsewhere. Melissa's story was first showcased in her article From Aspiring to Inspiring, published in the January 2010 issue of the American Bar Association's The Young Lawyer, and again in Racing the Sunset, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries in June 2014.
No matter where she is, or where she goes, Melissa remains actively committed to progressive social change, and to Robert F. Kennedy's belief that "if you can't make waves, make ripples."
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, grew up in West Orange before moving with her family to beautiful Morris County. Rachel attended Ramapo College with the original goal of becoming an actor. While there, she realized she had to do more to help people, inspiring her to change her major to psychology instead. Through the excellent program at the Cahill Center, Rachel was fortunate enough to get an internship at the North Jersey Developmental Center, inspiring her passion for working with special needs individuals and eventually leading her to the Alpine Learning Group. At Alpine, Rachel once again realized that she needed to do more, inspiring her to return to school at Widener Commonwealth Law School, where she graduated in 2015. After interning with the Community Justice Center in both Summer 2014 and Spring 2015, Rachel now oversees program services in Middlesex, Morris, and Somerset Counties. Rachel also works with young children with autism as a therapist at Erica Tober ABA Consulting.