OP-ED: Cutting free legal aid would put justice out of reach for many New Yorkers

Reprinted from the Times Union on September 18, 2025

By Shervon M. Small and Lori O’Brien

Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors across New York rely on free legal assistance. Veterans fighting to keep their homes, domestic violence survivors seeking safety, seniors and people with disabilities navigating life-saving health care, families struggling to put food on the table — they all turn to us in moments of crisis.

For decades, our organizations have been a lifeline for vulnerable New Yorkers who cannot afford an attorney but still face life-changing legal battles, often through no fault of their own. These aren’t courtroom dramas; they are the everyday crises that decide whether someone has a roof over their head, access to medical care or protection from abuse.

Legal services organizations like ours help New Yorkers get through some of the worst moments in their lives and give them the chance to rebuild a life with stability and dignity.

Much of this work is made possible by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a federal nonprofit created by Congress in 1974 to ensure equal justice for all Americans. Each year, LSC provides more than $30 million to legal aid organizations across New York.

That lifeline is in jeopardy. In May, the Trump administration proposed eliminating LSC entirely. Congress has not followed suit. While the Senate passed a bill that would increase LSC funding by $6 million, the House’s bill would decrease LSC funds by $260 million — a 46% cut.

Without LSC funding, many New Yorkers would be forced to stand alone in court against well-funded landlords, predatory lenders and abusers. In a system designed for attorneys, that is not justice. That is abandonment.

At Legal Services NYC, our staff of 700 serves more than 100,000 New Yorkers each year. In western New York, Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) has a staff of 166, serving more than 56,000 New Yorkers each year through direct representation, hotlines and community outreach. In many communities, LawNY is the only provider of free legal help for hundreds of miles. Without LSC funding, those rural communities would have no one to turn to, creating a gap in services in areas where poverty runs deep and resources are already scarce.

If the House successfully slashes LSC funding by 46%, it would mean that more than 200,000 fewer New Yorkers could be served each year. That would include including 80,000 children, 25,000 seniors, nearly 2,500 veterans and over 10,000 survivors of domestic violence.

Cutting legal aid funding doesn’t save money; it costs us more in the long run. Every $1 invested in civil legal services returns $7 in economic benefits by resolving crises early and preventing costly emergencies like homelessness, medical debt and foster care placements.

Federal budget decisions may be made in Washington, but their consequences are felt in our neighborhoods, our courtrooms and our communities. If we lose LSC funding, the human toll will be measured in evictions, bankruptcies, broken families and lives cut short.

The promise of equal justice under law is only real if every New Yorker — regardless of income — has access to the legal help they need. Legal services keep our communities safe, healthy and hopeful. Free civil legal help offers New Yorkers a chance at a brighter future, and that’s a chance every New Yorker deserves.

Shervon M. Small is the executive director of Legal Services NYC. Lori M. O’Brien is the executive director of Legal Assistance of Western New York.