Central Jersey Legal Services Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Central jersey legal services (cjls) is a nonprofit law firm that serves low-income residents of middlesex, mercer, and union counties. Cjls has attorneys and paralegals as well as other support staff in five locations across the regions. Offices are open monday-friday, 9 a.m. To 5 p.m. There are private attorneys who have volunteered their time and expertise to provide legal services to eligible clients free of charge. The program provides free civil legal services to individuals and families with income less than 250% of the federal poverty level. Cjls attorneys and paralegals provide clients with advice and representation to protect their housing and income, improve family stability, remove barriers to productive employment, widen access to health care and cjls assists survivors of domestic violence obtain restraining orders, support and custody. Cjls assists others with family issues providing advice, assistance and representation. Cjls services offers three levels of services to support the client community and resolve individual client problems. First, case handlers provide legal assessment, advice and referral in cases where the client is able to resolve their legal problem on their own. Information and instruction from an attorney or paralegal improves clients' ability to advocate on their own behalf and achieve their desired outcome. Second, in complex matters or those with serious legal consequences, cjls, provides legal representation in administrative and court proceedings. Finally the program delivers community legal education to the target population. Through workshops and clinics, and coordination with other social service provider agencies, cjls raises community awareness of legal protections and provides community members with the tools necessary to assert their rights and promote their legal interests. Cjls helps clients avoid eviction or overcome foreclosure, defend their rights under the terms of the lease, improve substandard housing conditions, and secure vital housing subsidies. Cjls helped clients secure bankruptcy protection, end creditor harassment, defend against forclosure, negotiate resolution of debt, and fight unfair and illegal sales practices. Cjls assisted clients to obtain, increase or protect important sources of income from social security, disability, unemployment, food stamps, and tanf, so they could provide for themselves and their families.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 86.7%; rating input score 87
• Program expense ratio: 87.4%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 1%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.45; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.49; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.4%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.7% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings