NYC Social Services Organizations

General Law Matters:

New York Legal Assistance Group
450 West 33rd Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 212 750-0800
Website: www.nylag.org
Hours of operation: NYLAG attorneys are available for consultation Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. To reach an attorney, dial the main number at 212-613-5000.
Closet subway stop: A, C, E train to 34th Street in Manhattan.
Fee: Free of charge (pro bono)
The General Legal Services Unit also includes specialists in the following areas:

• The Enforcement Project staff assists clients with compliance issues related to fair hearing decisions while helping to obtain emergency benefits prior to the administrative hearing or at time of application.

• The HIV Law Project offers advocacy and legal assistance to HIV/AIDS-infected clients and their families concerning HIV disclosure, discrimination, guardianship and end of life planning issues.

• The Child Advocacy Project offers advocacy and legal representation to families with children who have physical, developmental, emotional, or learning disabilities, and are seeking access to public and private special education services, or home care services and equipment so children are able to remain with their families.

• Project Rise Up is an outreach program that offers employment law and Fourth Amendment training as well as college preparation assistance to minority teenagers throughout New York City.

• Elder Law Specialists work with vulnerable seniors to address issues related to entitlements, health care, nursing home/hospital rights, guardianship, abuse and neglect, consumer matters, and other issues affecting seniors.

• The Citizenship Initiative & Naturalization Project works with immigrants applying for residency status who are faced with obstacles due to disability, age, or recent changes in laws that affect their status. Project staff help with family-based petitions, work authorizations, disability waivers, student and work visas, adjustment of status, suspension and waiver of deportation, and other matters.

• The New York State Refugee and Asylee Assistance Project faces increasing anti-immigrant feelings in New York City where many refugees come across tremendous obstacles in applying for vital benefits. The Project represents refugees and asylees with children in matters of government benefits and immigration.

• The Specialist Project for Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union is a vital program because almost 20% of New York City’s immigrant population comes from the Former Soviet Union (FSU). NYLAG utilizes its Russian-speaking attorneys to work in neighborhoods with large populations of FSU immigrants, offering informational talks, workshops, and one-on-one legal assistance. Staff attorneys also write articles for ethnic papers and appear on ethnic television and radio.

• The Domestic Violence Initiative provides assistance to victims of domestic violence on a priority basis. In addition to obtaining orders of protection, the Initiative provides victims with legal representation in custody, visitation, support and divorce matters.

• The Economic Empowerment Project provides clients with assistance in post-matrimonial and support matters, utilizing both legal and financial tools to recover financial awards and better invest funds for future use. Through zealous enforcement techniques and fiscal planning advocacy, clients are assisted and educated in the optimal ways to utilize funds obtained in court proceedings.

• The Foster Care Project assists kinship foster parents in obtaining financial remuneration and appropriate social services for their foster children. The Project also assists young adult foster children between the ages of 18 and 21 in accessing the services necessary to ensure successful independent living after being released from foster care.

• The Matrimonial Project provides clients with the full range of matrimonial services in Supreme Courts throughout the five boroughs.

• NYLAG’s Low Income Legal Assistance Coalition (LILAC) meets the needs of low-income New York City women seeking legal assistance for sexual harassment claims. Coordinated by NYLAG and involving a consortium of legal advocates from around the city, LILAC connects each eligible client with an attorney and an attorney mentor who provides legal representation on a pro bono basis.

MFY Legal Services
299 Broadway, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Telephone: 212-417-3700
Fax: 212-417-3890
E-mail: info@mfy.org
Website: www.mfy.org
Transportation:
Subway: 4, 5, 6, J, M trains to Brooklyn Bridge;1, 2, 3, A, C, E trains to Chambers Street; R, W trains to City Hall
Bus: M1, M6 to Duane Street; M22 to Chambers & Broadway .

Services Provided: MFY’s programs reach individuals and families facing crises on basic issues, such as housing, government benefits, employment, health care, domestic violence, and other family issues.

• Neighborhood Preservation Project helps preserve affordable housing in MFY’s traditional Manhattan neighborhoods of the Lower East Side, Chinatown, East Harlem and Hell’s Kitchen and protects housing stock on which low-income and marginalized populations depend. Our East Side SRO Law Project defends the rights of Single Room Occupancy tenants facing eviction and confronting illegal conversions.

• Mental Health Law Project assists over 1,000 mentally disabled individuals living in apartments in their communities and in adult care facilities, providing advocacy services, consultation, advice, direct representation, and trainings.

• Adult Home Advocacy Project provides advocacy and trainings to adult home residents throughout New York City and pursues individual and affirmative litigation on issues that impact adult home residents.

• Workplace Justice Project provides free legal assistance for low-wage workers on wage and hour violations, unpaid wages, unemployment, and other employment-related issues.

• Pro Bono Adoption Project links low-income families seeking to adopt children from foster care with private pro bono attorneys and trains private attorneys to represent the families.

• Manhattan Legal Aid Project provides holistic civil legal services to seniors living in Manhattan to help them live independent, healthy and productive lives. The project is operated in partnership with the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation.

Urban Justice Center
666 Broadway 10th Floor
New York, NY 10012
Telephone: 646 602-5600
Fax: 212 533-4598
Website: www.urbanjustice.org
Closet subway stop: 6 train to Bleecker street station
Services provided: The Community Development Project (CDP) provides legal, technical, research and policy assistance to grassroots community groups engaged in a wide range of community development efforts throughout New York City. Our work is informed by the belief that real and lasting change in low-income, urban neighborhoods is often rooted in the empowerment of grassroots, community institutions. Our services to grassroots organizations include litigation, research and policy assistance, technical and legal assistance.

CDP works with New York City community-based organizations on the following area: affordable housing and tenant organizing, workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, sustainable economic development and access to financial institutions, education, civil rights, environmental justice, and consumer rights.

Urban Justice Center also works with individuals on domestic violence, homelessness outreach and prevention, human rights, mental health, imprisoned people with psychiatric disabilities, teenagers living on the streets of New York City which almost half self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) through the Peter Cicchino Youth Project (PCYP). The Sex Workers Project provides advocacy and legal assistance to sex workers.

Legal Services for New York City (LSNY) provides Civil legal services for New York City’s low-income communities.

Central Office:
350 Broadway (between Franklin and Leonard Streets)
6th Floor
New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 212 431-7200
Fax: 212 431-7232
E-mail: communications@lsny.org
Website: www.lsny.org
Transportation:
Subway: 1 train to Franklin Street, 2 and 3 train to Chambers Street, 4, 5, and 6 to City Hall, A,C,E to Canal Street, J, M and Z to City Hall, N and R to City Hall.

LSNY – Bronx
579 Courtlandt Ave
Bronx, NY 10451
Telephone: 718 928-3700

Courthouse Office
1118 Grand Concourse, 2nd Floor
Bronx, NY 10456
Telephone: 718 928-3700
Fax: 718 590-1129

LSNY – Brooklyn
Brooklyn Branch
180 Livingston Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Telephone: 718 852-8888
Fax: 718 858-1786
Website: www.lsnybb.org

Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services
1360 Fulton Street, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Telephone: 718 636-1155
Fax: 718 398-6414

Bushwick Office
1455 Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Telephone: 718 487-0800
Fax: 718 326-2944
Website: www.bka.org

East Brooklyn Office
80 Jamaica Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11207
Telephone:718 487-1300
Fax: 718 342-1780
Website: www.bka.org

Williamsburg Office
256-260 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Telephone: 718 487-2300
Fax: (718) 782-6790
Website: www.bka.org

Brighton Office
3049 Brighton 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Telephone: 718 852-8888
Fax: 718 858-1786
Website: www.lsnybb.org

Williamsburg Outreach Office
32 Penn Street
Brooklyn, New York 11211
Telephone: 718 643-9700
Fax: 718 858-1786
Website: www.lsnybb.org

South Brooklyn Legal Services
105 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Telephone: 718 237-5500
Fax: 718 855-0733
Website: www.sbls.org

LSNY – Manhattan
90 John Street, Suite 301
New York, NY 10038-3243
Telephone: 646 442-3100
Fax: 212 227-9798

Harlem Legal Services, Inc.
55 West 125th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10027
Telephone: 212 348-7449
Fax: 212 348-4093

LSNY – Queens
Jamaica Office
89-00 Sutphin Boulevard
Jamaica, NY 11435
Telephone: 718 657-8611
Fax: (718) 526-5051
Website: www.queenslegalservices.org

Long Island City Office
42-15 Crescent Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
Telephone: 718 392-5646
Fax: 718 937-5350
Website: www.queenslegalservices.org

Staten Island
LSNY – Staten Island
36 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Telephone: 718 233-6480

Citywide
Legal Services for the Elderly (”LSE”)
130 West 42nd Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: 212 391-0120
Fax: 212 719-1939

The LSNY Legal Support Unit (”LSU”)
350 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 212 431-7200
Fax: 212 966-9571
Website: www.legalsupport.org

Legal Aid Society of New York
Telephone: 212 577-3300
Website: www.legal-aid.org

Association of the Bar of the City of New York Legal Referral Service
Telephone: 212 636-7373
http://abcny.org/LRS/index.htm
Monday Night Law Clinic: This free clinic runs from October through July. It is scheduled on specific nights throughout each month. At the clinic, attorneys will meet with clients for one-half hour appointments to discuss a variety of legal topics, such as bankruptcy, consumer issues, matrimonial, basic employment and landlord-tenant. There is no charge for this service. A client must schedule an appointment for the Monday Night Clinic through the LRS hotline (212) 626-7373 (English), (212) 626-7374 (Spanish). Walk-ins are not permitted.

SHIELD Hotline: The SHIELD (Self-Help Information, Education and Legal Defense) hotline is a free advice hotline sponsored by the Bar Association for income-qualified callers. A phone call to the hotline connects you with a staff of knowledgeable referral counselors, who are attorneys and paralegals. SHIELD counselors will give free legal advice on a wide range of subjects, such as family law, immigration, bankruptcy, employment and landlord-tenant issues. SHIELD counselors are available to answer questions Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.. To speak with a SHIELD counselor, call (212) 626-7383.Safe Horizon

718 899-1233 x129

Website: www.safehorizon.org

Criminal Matters

Bronx Defenders
860 Courtlandt Avenue
Bronx, NY 10451
Telephone:
718 838-7878
718 665-0600
800 597-7980
Website: www.bronxdefenders.org

Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem
212 876 5500

Website: www.ndsny.org

Employment

National Employment Law Project
212 285-3025

Website: www.nelp.org

Immigration

Catholic Charities
1011 1st Ave
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: 212 419-3700
Website: www.catholiccharitiesny.org/index.cfm?PageToShow=immigrantrefugee.cfm&What=Helping%20Immigrants%20%26%20Refugees

Our trained staff of attorneys, paralegals and social services staff assist immigrants and refugees with legal representation, case processing and resettlement services. Specific assistance such as refugee reception and employment help, telephone hotline information and referral assistance to documented and undocumented alike, individual case advocacy, general education emergency assistance and outreach are provided to tens of thousands throughout the area.

Family Law

Legal Information for Families Todaya
212 307-7777