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The New Jersey Supreme Court is honoring 13 attorneys for their dedication in providing free legal services to those in need.

During the judiciary’s sixth annual attorney pro bono recognition ceremony Oct. 26, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner told the lawyers they lead by example and “set the mark for others” by balancing the demands of their legal practices with volunteer efforts to offer legal assistant to victims of domestic violence, families at risk, people who need the help of a guardian and other vulnerable individuals.

“Our justice system depends on the commitment and compassion of pro bono attorneys like the gifted lawyers we recognize today. We thank them not only for their selfless efforts but also for reminding us that the law is a noble profession. And we are grateful to them for leading the way,” Rabner remarked.

In delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Associate Justice Michael Noriega told those gathered at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton that the many benefits of the profession come with a deep responsibility to serve the community.

After noting that pro bono means “for the public good,” Noriega went on to say, “So, while our Judiciary requires that all licensed attorneys devote a portion of their time for the public good, we are here to honor the select few that have gone above and beyond that requirement.”

According to the judiciary, the attorneys being recognized are:

• Mark Apostolou Jr. – Shebell & Shebell LLC, Monmouth County
• Leonard Busch – The Busch Law Group, Middlesex County
• James DiGiulio – O’Toole Scrivo LLC, Essex County
• Michael Ferrara – Ferrara Law Firm, Burlington County
• Judith Hartz – Kozyra & Hartz LLC, Essex County
• Patricia Lee – Connell Foley LLP, Essex County
• Adolfo Lopez – Law Offices of Lopez Noris LLC, Hudson County
• Angela Pastor – The Law Offices of Pastor & Pastor LLC, Middlesex County
• John Robertson – Hanlon Dunn Robertson, Morris/Sussex counties
• Melissa Ruvolo – Family Focused Legal Solutions, Morris/Sussex counties
• Matthew Seymour – Bergen County
• Xiao Sun – Orloff, Lowenbach, Stifelman & Siegel, Morris/Sussex counties
• Bohdan Zachariasevych – BohZac Law LLC, Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem counties

The ceremony, as well as a video in which the honorees discuss their pro bono service (also below), can be viewed on New Jersey Courts’ Facebook page.