| Legal Services NYC |
Legal Services NYCFor more than 40 years, our staff of talented attorneys, paralegals, social workers and clerical workers have helped low-income New Yorkers with nowhere else to turn navigate the civil legal system. Each year, through our efforts, we have helped more than 10,000 families avoid homelessness and more than 25,000 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
January 28, 2010– Legal Services NYC is pleased to announce that Jennifer Ching has been appointed Project Director at Queens Legal Services (“QLS,” a program of Legal Services NYC).
“We are enormously pleased to welcome Jennifer to Legal Services
NYC’s leadership as Project Director of Queens Legal Services,” said
Legal Services NYC Executive Director and President Andrew Scherer.
“Jennifer brings to the position talent, energy, a deep commitment to
the communities of Queens, and broad experience in public interest
advocacy. The need for legal help for New York City’s low income
households and communities has been rapidly expanding due to the poor
state of the economy, and Jennifer is just the right person to lead our
talented Queens staff in the provision of critical civil legal services
in this challenging time.”
January 25, 2010— In a major victory for New York City’s rent stabilized tenants, New
York State Supreme Court Justice Emily Jane Goodman struck down a 2008
supplemental adjustment imposed by the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB),
which has been characterized as a “poor tax” against low-income tenants
who have lived in an apartment for more than six years and pay less
than $1,000 a month in rent. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by South Brooklyn Legal Services ("SBLS," a program of Legal Services NYC) Housing Unit Director Ed Josephson and Staff Attorney Rachel Hannaford, along with attorneys from the Legal Aid Society.
On December 15, Legal Services NYC Bankruptcy Assistance Project Coordinator Bill Kransdorf was a guest on WBAI's "You and Your Money" with host Susan Lee. Bill answered questions about bankruptcy-- what it is, what it does, and who should consider it. Click here to download the program.
On December 31, 2009, Steven M. Bernstein retired from
his position as founding Project Director of Legal Services NYC’s
Brooklyn Branch. His retirement caps a remarkable 35 years of service
with Legal Services NYC and nearly 50 years working on
behalf of New York’s low-income residents.
A feature article in the January 11th issue of The Nation looks at the daunting legal obstacles faced by homeowners under threat of foreclosure as a result of complex predatory lending scams and deceptive sales practices. Author Alex Ulam explores the role of current restrictions on the work of LSC-funded legal service providers in exacerbating the crisis, and calls Congressional authorization of the Legal Services Corporation "long overdue." Meghan Faux, co-director of the Foreclosure Prevention Project at
South Brooklyn Legal Services, is quoted.
South Brooklyn Legal Services is fighting to compel the City to keep its promise to help Albee Square residents obtain new affordable housing if they are evicted from their homes. The Brooklyn Eagle has been covering the story, including a press conference organized by Jennifer Levy, Interim Project Director at SBLS.