| Legal Services NYC |
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For more than 45 years, our staff of talented attorneys, paralegals, social workers and clerical workers have helped low-income New Yorkers navigate the civil legal system. Each year, through our efforts, we have helped more than 10,000 families avoid homelessness and more than 50,000 poor and low-income New Yorkers with a full range of their legal needs. Our network is community-based and includes offices in low-income communities and transportation hubs throughout New York City. |
What's New at Legal Services NYC
An article in today's Daily News draws attention to a troubling but common practice in charter schools. Children, some as young as 5 years old, are being removed from schools—and thus denied their right to education— under so called "psychiatric suspensions." LSNYC-Bronx's Nelson Mar represents the families of the two kindergarteners featured in the piece.
The staff of Legal Services NYC is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, yet another African-American man lost to violence. As advocates for low-income New Yorkers, we are all too familiar with the devastating effects that policies such as racial profiling and stop and frisk have on our clients and their children. These unfair practices cast a long shadow on low-income communities of color, resulting in the senseless loss of lives, costly and unnecessary incarceration, destabilization of families, and shockingly high levels of unemployment. We add our voices to the millions across this nation calling for a thorough prosecution of this case, as is required by the principle of equal justice for all under the law.
A New York Times article focuses on the Department of Education's continuing failure to provide adequate school-based mental health services. Instead of providing such services, schools are dealing with disruptive or troubled students by sending them to emergency rooms. LSNYC-Bronx's Nelson Mar represents the family of the 10-year old profiled in the article.
New York, NY, March 28, 2012—Legal Services NYC today applauded Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, and the New York State Legislature for their successful efforts to restore funding for the statewide Foreclosure Prevention Services Program in the FY 2012-13 budget. Up to $9 million of the funds used to support the extension of services will come from the $132 million secured by the Attorney General in the recent mortgage servicing settlement. Funding for the program was to have expired on April 1st, leaving programs across the state at risk of having to shut their doors to the thousands of New York homeowners currently facing or at serious risk of foreclosure.
March 23, 2012, Bronx, NY —Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson joined other officials and community leaders to announce a major new development which will be the new home of Legal Services NYC-Bronx. Legal Services NYC-Bronx will soon open their new ADA-accessible home at the Hub on E.149th and Brook Avenue. The new office will be a dignified community space and safe-haven where all clients can access free civil legal services in confidence and comfort. The facility includes a new green space and provides the accessibility and service capacity that clients deserve. (Photo: Borough President Diaz and Senator Hassell-Thompson with Legal Services NYC-Bronx staff)
