Women trapped in arranged/forced marriages in New Jersey now have 11 more allies.
Unchained gave its first training course today to lawyers in New Jersey who are committed to representing Unchained clients pro bono – but do not yet have matrimonial-law experience. Eleven lawyers attended the course, titled “Un-Arrange a Marriage: An Introduction to Family Law, With a Focus on Forced Marriage.”
The 11 attorneys now will be matched with mentors – experienced matrimonial law attorneys – who will guide the them through the complex process of representing a woman who is fleeing an arranged/forced marriage.
The training course was presented by four experienced family law attorneys – Emily Carstensen of Rubenstein Meyerson Fox Conte (and Unchained’s board vice president); Deb Guston of Guston and Guston (and a member of Unchained’s board of advisers); Rebecca Levin of Jerner & Palmer; and Komal Ullah of Weinberger Law Group – and by Unchained’s executive director, Fraidy Reiss.
The free training course, worth eight Continuing Legal Education credits, was made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New Jersey. Unchained will present the course again in the spring.