Statement from Legal Services NYC on Christopher Lamb Receiving the Legal Services Award from the NYC Bar Association

New York, NY – Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) congratulates Christopher Lamb, Director of Litigation at LSNYC’s Bronx office, for winning the prestigious Legal Services Award from the New York City Bar Association. Lamb formally received the award on June 2, 2025.

Lamb has dedicated his life to advocating on behalf of low-income New Yorkers, including leading impact litigation to fix systemic injustices and shaping LSNYC’s client-centered approach to lawyering.

“Chris could not be more deserving of this award,” said Shervon M. Small, Executive Director of Legal Services NYC. “He has been at the forefront of the fight for vulnerable New Yorkers his entire career. Even when I was getting my start as a young lawyer, Chris was laser focused on systemic advocacy, not just as a tool to change policy or legal frameworks, but as a way to serve the countless clients we may never meet.”

“He often reminds us that every piece of litigation and every effort should ask, ‘How will this affect the broader client community and remove barriers for people who might never walk through our doors?’,” Small continued. “That kind of client- and community-centered approach is exactly what makes his leadership in this area so important and why this recognition is so well deserved. We could not be more proud of him.” 

Lamb has nearly 40 years of legal experience and has been involved in landmark litigation that has benefited hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including Jiggetts v. Grinkerwhich led to the creation of a housing subsidy program (now called FHEPS) which makes housing more affordable for tens of thousands of New Yorkers, as well as T.H. et al. v. Farina, et al.which forced the NYC Department of Education to issue protocols to avoid the overuse of Emergency Medical Services or 911 when students exhibited emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric issues. Most recently, Lamb is involved in a lawsuit against the NYC DOE for failing to provide due process rights to students in suspension hearings.

Lamb has mentored countless young attorneys throughout his career and currently oversees litigation strategies and legal teams in Legal Services NYC’s Bronx office. His work encompasses critical areas such as housing, immigration, family law, education, public benefits, and economic justice. Previous to Legal Services NYC, Lamb was executive director MFY Legal Services (now Mobilization for Justice). He received a B.A. from Williams College and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

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Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, LSNYC has challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC fights every day to ensure New Yorkers and their families have access to the services, resources, and protections they need to survive. http://www.legalservicesnyc.org