A Fox Rothschild pro bono litigation team in Princeton was recognized in a federal court ceremony on Nov. 16 for its yearlong efforts to assist a recently released inmate in resolving several complicated legal issues, culminating in a court order that granted him physical and legal custody of his two sons.

Corinne McCann Trainor, Eliana T. Baer, Olivia Mendler and Michael W. Sabo were honored at the 10-year Anniversary of ReNew Newark, a reentry program that helps released inmates find jobs and restore their families after serving time in prison. It is jointly operated by the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, along with probation officers, prosecutors and defenders.

The Fox team represented the New Jersey man as part of the firm’s Black Community Outreach pro bono initiative. The man was the featured graduation speaker for the 2023 ReNew class.

In a letter informing the Fox team of the honor, ReNew participating attorney Jordann R. Conaboy wrote that the man was “one of our star participants, and you made a huge difference in his life. He called me ecstatic after the court proceeding.”

Trainor said the man faced serious obstacles in reuniting with his sons because child support liens had been imposed while he was imprisoned. The process of clearing those liens was complicated, she said, because one of his sons was battling a life-threatening illness and it was essential to protect his eligibility for medical care.

As a result of the Fox team’s persistent efforts, the man now has legal and physical custody of both of his sons, with parenting time 6 out of every 14 nights. The court also reduced his child support payments by more than 70 percent in part because of his increased responsibility.

As this article contains statements regarding past performance, please note that results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.