March 5, 2013, New York, NY—The NYS Supreme Court Appellate Division, First Department, today reversed two of its own prior decisions and held that prevailing parties in New York State can collect legal fees under the "catalyst theory", unlike federal litigants who are bound by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Buckhannon. The decision was a major victory which will help to alleviate the crisis caused by the lack of availability of counsel to represent low-income New Yorkers. The petitioner was represented by Peter Kempner of South Brooklyn Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC.

March 5, 2013, New York, NY—Manhattan Legal Services Senior Staff Attorney Julia Rosner filed a complaint with the Department of Labor to obtain unpaid wages for our client, Mr. H, in 2006, and has advocated vigorously on his behalf for the past six years. Mr. H was a delivery man for a supermarket which advertised free delivery services on its bags and elsewhere. The employer had Mr. H bag groceries as he waited for delivery orders, but never paid him an hourly wage in the six years he worked there. Customers often tipped him with food stamps.

February 22, 2013, New York NY—Legal Services NYC has published Homes Underwater: Forbearance Alternatives for Sandy Homeowners, a white paper examining the effectiveness of the mortgage relief programs offered by the major lenders in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Immediately after the storm, many lenders publicized programs offering homeowners short-term forbearance periods for their mortgage payments. For homeowners facing massive damages to their homes and a complex web of disaster assistance applications and insurance claims, these announcements promised much needed relief—particularly for those homeowners who are incurring rental costs on top of their mortgage because their home was rendered uninhabitable. In reality, however, the forbearance programs offered to date have failed to provide homeowners with meaningful relief. Indeed, they create a situation where a homeowner is likely to fall into delinquency and may well lead to foreclosure.

January 9, 2013, Bronx, NY—More than 60 families who live at 1259, 1265 and 1269 College Avenue in the Bronx said goodbye to one of the worst-rated landlords in New York City today, and celebrated the sale of their buildings to a new management company committed to making repairs and keeping rents affordable.