Nassau Suffolk Law Services Committee Inc

Through our various programs, trainings, partnerships and contacts with hundreds of Long Island social, religious and governmental organizations, we aim to provide legal assistance and representation to thousands of Long Islanders, and inform them of their rights under the law.

In order to accomplish our goals, we work with elected officials to obtain essential services for their constituents; we work with health care workers to obtain medical care for clients. We join with mental and physical disability advocates to ensure that their clients' issues are resolved thus helping them obtain employment and lead productive lives and carrying out community trainings. We also continue to improve our technology capabilities to facilitate communications and enhance resources for staff. We’ve expanded our reach in the community by providing civil legal services to veterans and ex-offenders reentering into their communities, and maintaining our extensive pro bono efforts in conjunction with the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations and the local court administrations.

Our capabilities—the collective skills, abilities, and expertise of our staff—are the result of investments in staffing, training, and communication. Many of our staff members are outstanding experts in their field and have been recognized at a state and national level for the quality and critical importance of their work. Our ED and staff members actively participate in Coalitions and Committees designed to help low and moderate-income New Yorkers access effective assistance when faced with legal challenges involving the essentials of life (housing, family matters, access to healthcare, education, and subsistence income). For more than 50 years, we’ve successfully collaborated with domestic violence agencies, elected officials, Bar Associations, and social and religious groups to help bridge the justice gap in Long Island.

Overview of Achievements, 2017-2018
Nearly 6,200 cases for more than 13,800 individuals were handled to completion for the period from April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.
While assisting individual clients is the foundation of our work, these cases also benefited the entire community because, as a result of our efforts, we save the counties and state money through our SSI, public benefits, family law and housing work. Nearly 2.75 million dollars in federal Social Security benefits, public assistance and Medicaid were obtained by our staff on behalf of low-income and disabled individuals on Long Island. Nearly 4 million dollars were saved by New York State taxpayers through the avoidance of emergency shelter costs and by moving clients off welfare onto federal social security. Through our collaborations with two local bar associations and courts, we've produced nearly 1,000 cases providing access to the legal system to more than 3,000 adults and children.