Eve Biskind Klothen, Class of 1975, who is 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 30th anniversary celebration for Philadelphia VIP on March 19.
Since 2002, Klothen has advanced and expanded the portfolio of pro bono and public interest programs at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden that serve low-income citizens who otherwise might not have access to the legal support that they need. 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.
Before earning her J.D. at Vanderbilt in 1975, Klothen earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1972.
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.