Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Protecting Rights, Promoting Justice
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Although "justice for all" is one of our society's most basic promises, there is no legal right to counsel in civil matters, including housing, family, and public benefits cases. Many people cannot afford an attorney and are unable to navigate the legal system on their own. When crisis strikes – loss of a job, diagnosis of an illness, subjection to domestic violence – and a legal matter ensues, these individuals and families do not have the resources to access legal assistance. Not knowing where to turn, they are often lost in the legal system; thwarted by confusing processes, paperwork, and legal jargon. Even in the cases that have legal merit (which an overwhelming percentage do), the lack of a trained advocate usually results in defeat. Justice is not served in these situations, and the vulnerable of our communities find themselves further disadvantaged.
This is not a minor issue that affects the margins of our society. It is estimated that one in five Americans qualify for free l
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Free Civil Legal Services
Provision of civil legal services is our only real principal activity. The services we offer include homelessness prevention; income stability and enhancement; health benefits; consumer protection; discrimination advocacy and advance directive planning for the disabled, chronically ill and elderly; protection from domestic violence; educational advocacy for disabled children; and representation and advocacy for veterans and military families.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is the only provider of comprehensive civil legal services to all seven counties of the lower Hudson Valley (Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan). We are the recipient of Legal Services Corporation funding for the region and provide a full array of services to low income individuals and families to meet the legal needs for "essentials of life” and preserve the stability of client households.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Free Civil Legal Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2017, we served 11,871 clients. We handled a total of 14,993 cases for those clients, as some clients had multiple cases with our agency.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley's primary goal is to provide free civil legal assistance to those who cannot afford an attorney. More than half a million residents of New York's Hudson Valley are eligible for our services.
We provide comprehensive civil legal services to all seven counties of the Hudson Valley by meeting the legal needs of low income and impoverished individuals and families, maintaining their basic necessities of life and preserving the stability of client households.
Provision of civil legal services is our principal activity, with objectives including:
Saving children from neglect;
Protecting women from domestic violence;
Defending seniors against abuse;
Serving veterans on the home front;
Supporting the rights of the disabled;
Keeping families in their homes.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley's 130-person staff, eight offices and hundreds of pro bono volunteers are passionate advocates for our credo, which summarizes our overarching goals: Protecting Rights, Promoting Justice.
We are committed to making “Justice for All" a reality throughout the region we serve - providing fairness through equal access to justice, regardless of income.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Advice and counsel; advocacy in civil proceedings; full representation; community legal education; pro se assistance; and referrals for related issues.
HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION: prevent or delay evictions and foreclosures; PROTECTING the RIGHTS OF THE DISABLED, CHILDREN, ELDERLY, ABUSE VICTIMS and VETERANS: advocacy to prevent discrimination against disabled individuals, the chronically ill and elderly; protection for victims of abuse, domestic violence and crime; educational advocacy for children with disabilities; and representation and advocacy for veterans and their families; STABILIZING FAMILIES & HOUSEHOLDS: income retention and stability; access to health and public benefits; CONSUMER PROTECTION: protection from consumer fraud, abuse and predatory lenders/debt collectors.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
With offices in White Plains, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Spring Valley, Kingston, Monticello, Newburgh and Poughkeepsie, a dedicated staff of 130 lawyers, administrators and support staff, and hundreds of private attorneys who volunteer their time, we serve more than 12,500 people annually across seven counties, impacting over 30,000 household members.
We are experienced attorneys, volunteers and advocates passionate about our credo -- Protecting Rights, Promoting Justice. That is why Legal Services of the Hudson Valley has been able to provide free non-criminal legal assistance to nearly 300,000 clients since inception, as well as save New York State and local government from spending millions of dollars to combat homelessness, abuse, hunger and other societal harms that result from an absence of justice.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Providing free civil legal aid to low-income families or recently unemployed individuals experiencing financial crises is a priority for Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, ensuring basic access to justice, safeguarding their stability and survival, and benefiting the community as a whole.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley has experienced exceptional growth in recent years due to the extraordinary confidence that the organization has generated in funders, elected officials, courts, judges, stakeholders and constituents at the federal, state and local levels, as a result of its expertise, capabilities, reputation, impact and success.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley was originally incorporated in 1967 as Westchester Legal Services. In 1995 we added Putnam and Dutchess Counties, and in 2004, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties. Our name has evolved to reflect the geographic expansion of our service area.
In the past few years, we've hired many new staff members and opened new offices in Spring Valley and Peekskill. We increased the size of our centralized intake unit and opened access to our services to large numbers of potential clients. We restructured the management team to enable better oversight and accountability and increased the size of our administration/finance department to increase efficiency and effectiveness. In 2017-2018, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley generated $43,500,000 in taxpayer savings which includes hundreds of thousands of dollars saved by the counties and state by avoiding long-term welfare costs.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley is the “go to" civil legal services provider organization in New York's Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley. Our CEO and executive staff are highly-regarded as “thought leaders" in their fields, and their expertise, advice, knowledge and advocacy is sought throughout the region, by legal services providers, not-for-profit leaders, legislators, courts, community organizations, agencies and peers.
We've also established new collaborations and expanded existing collaborations with non-profit organizations in areas including foreclosure prevention, eviction prevention, domestic violence, LGBTQ rights, elder abuse, and veterans' rights. We also upgraded our data technology and case management software, and dramatically expanded our intake processes.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Board of directorsas of 12/11/2019
Mr. Alfred Donnellan
DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP
Alfred E Donnellan
DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP
Kenneth Thompson
John Flannery
Wilson Elser LLP
Jonathan Kozak
Jackson Lewis LLP
David Posner
McCabe & Mack LLP
Jonathan Harris
MBIA, Inc.
Courtney R Rockett
Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP
Eric Gordon
Keane & Beane, PC
Sarah Chianese
Andrew Williams
Paul Adler
Rand Commercial Services
Amber Jeunegens
Nathalie Riobe-Taylor
Erik Haas
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
Barbara Hawkins
Thomas R. Lalla
Pernod Ricard USA
William D. Marsillo
Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP
Frances M. Pantaleo
Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP
Sean H. Brady
Clarfeld Financial Advisors
Christopher R. Cabanillas
Cabanillas & Associates, P.C.
Corinna M. Carillo
Jeremiah Frei-Pearson
Finkelstein, Blankinship, Frei-Pearson & Garber
David Owens
Jane Rembert-Wigfall
Sidney S. Rosdeitcher
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP
Justin M. Sher
Sher Tremonte LLP
Vanessa Kaye Watson
Mastercard International Incorporated
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No