Montclair Legal Whiz Earns Award For Helping Vulnerable Clients

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair resident has earned a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her work helping in-need legal clients in North Jersey.

The YWCA Union County recently named Jane Hanson as the recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors the achievements of “community champions” who have made significant contributions in the field of family justice.

Here's why Hanson earned a nod this year, the YWCA said:

“Jane is the co-founder of Partners for Women and Justice, now called Partners, which started in 2002 to provide free legal assistance to low-income individuals dealing with domestic violence and family law matters. Over the years, 100s, if not 1000s of YWCA clients have benefited from legal services through the agency. Jane served as Executive Director of Partners beginning in 2003. After 17 years of leading the organization, Jane retired in 2020. As the Family Justice Center movement took hold in New Jersey in the early 2000s, Partners incubated the Essex County Family Justice Center – the first in the state. Jane was also part of the planning team for the Union County Family Justice Center. In retirement, she has provided legal assistance to nonprofit organizations as a volunteer with Pro Bono Partnership.”

“I cannot overstate the positive impact Partners has made in the lives of our clients at the Family Justice Center, and I can think of no more deserving of a person to receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award than Jane Hanson whose work and dedication launched Partners and helped us open our doors in 2017,” said Lisa Poris, director of the Union County Family Justice Center.

Hanson said she was honored to receive the award.

“It was very exciting to be involved with such a forward-looking project, but truth be told, I played just a supporting role,” Hanson said.

“Once the center was established, Partners' clients were extremely well-served by the Family Justice Center,” Hanson continued. “With the wrap-around support provided by the center, the legal protections and court orders secured by Partners' clients became so much more than the piece of paper they were written on.”

Hanson will be recognized with the award at this year’s Champions for Family Justice Awards Breakfast at the Embassy Suites in Berkeley Heights on Friday, May 16 from 8 to 10 a.m.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.