Our Team

The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center is led by Pashman Stein Walder Hayden Partner CJ Griffin, who serves as Director of the Center.

The commitment to public interest and pro bono matters is an integral part of the culture at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden.  Our attorneys are encouraged to work on matters through the Stein Public Interest Center, performing more than 6,000 hours of pro bono legal work in 2021.  

Justice Gary S. Stein (Ret.), for whom the Center is named, and Judge Stuart Peim (Ret.), focus a significant amount of their time on matters for the Stein Public Interest Center. Together with retired Appellate Division Presiding Judge Ellen L. Koblitz, they provide invaluable guidance and perspective to the Stein Public Interest Center.

In addition to representing clients in important public interest and pro bono cases, we partner with local, regional, and national organizations to promote and advance justice, including representing such organizations as pro bono amicus curiae counsel.  Our partner organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union – New Jersey, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers – New Jersey, Partners for Women and Justice, the Latino Action Network, Libertarians for Transparent Government and many more.

Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Fellow                                                

The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center Fellowship offers attorneys a unique opportunity to work on public interest impact litigation and appellate advocacy within a law firm setting. The Fellow participates as a full member of the legal team with significant responsibility, including drafting complaints and other pleadings, writing amicus curiae briefs, and arguing before New Jersey state and federal trial and appellate courts. A substantial portion of the Fellow’s legal docket will be devoted to pro bono amicus curiae work on criminal justice cases pending in the New Jersey Supreme Court, as well as fee-shifting work relating to police transparency, open government, and civil rights.

The Fellow works closely alongside the Center’s Director to promote and supervise the pro bono work of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. The Fellow also has input into the work that the Center chooses to undertake, as well as the Center’s future vision. In that regard, the Fellow will help expand the Center’s amicus curiae work to other jurisdictions and to issue research publications based on topics relating to police transparency and accountability. By participating in a variety of coalitions, the Fellow will have the opportunity to develop working relationships with public interest lawyers, advocates, and organizations.

Further information about the Fellowship program and application process is located in About the Center