Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy

Legal Aid Society

Justice in Every Borough

New York, NY   |  www.legalaidnyc.org

Mission

The Legal Aid Society exists for one simple yet powerful reason: to ensure that no New Yorker is denied their right to equal justice because of poverty. Since 1876, we have fought to remove the hidden, systemic barriers preventing vulnerable people from advancing in New York. We work on the frontlines and behind the scenes to offer a voice to those who have struggled in silence for far too long. Through our Civil, Criminal Defense, and Juvenile Rights Practices, we provide an unmatched depth and breadth of legal expertise to marginalized New Yorkers, no matter what legal challenges they may face.

Ruling year info

1943

President

Mr. Blaine (Fin) V. Fogg Esq.

Main address

199 Water Street

New York, NY 10038 USA

Show more addresses

EIN

13-5562265

Cause area (NTEE code) info

Civil Rights, Social Action, and Advocacy N.E.C. (R99)

Legal Services (I80)

Civil Rights, Social Action, and Advocacy N.E.C. (R99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2018, 2017 and 2016.
Register now

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

This profile needs more info.

If it is your nonprofit, add a problem overview.

Login and update

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Civil Practice

Our Civil Practice operates 21 specialized units and programs that serve nearly 135,000 New Yorkers every year. Our units provide clients with comprehensive legal assistance covering virtually any issue they may be facing, including: disability-related assistance; public assistance; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; health law; HIV/AIDS and chronic diseases; elder law; housing, homelessness prevention, and foreclosure prevention; family law and domestic violence; employment issues faced by low-wage workers; tax law for low-income workers; consumer law; education law; immigration law; re-entry services; and community development legal assistance.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged, low-income, and poor people

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of civil litigation matters handled

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Economically disadvantaged, low-income, and poor people

Related Program

Civil Practice

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We help our clients with a wide range of civil legal matters, from housing and immigration, to employment and health benefits.

Number of clients served

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Economically disadvantaged, low-income, and poor people

Related Program

Civil Practice

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Our cases effect the lives not only of our clients, but those of families and entire communities

Percentage of cases with a positive outcome where there was a court decision

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Economically disadvantaged, low-income, and poor people

Related Program

Civil Practice

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We are tenacious advocates for our clients, offering them a voice in the courtroom.

Percentage of cases with a positive outcome where there was an administrative agency decision

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Economically disadvantaged, low-income, and poor people

Related Program

Civil Practice

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We help our clients navigate complex and indifferent bureaucracies, ensuring that they get the help they need.

Charting impact

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Five powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

The Legal Aid Society, the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit legal services organization, is more than a law firm for poor New Yorkers. It is an indispensable component of the legal, social, and economic fabric of New York City - passionately advocating for low-income individuals and families across a variety of civil, criminal and juvenile rights matters, while also fighting for legal reform.

The Legal Aid Society has performed this role in City, State and federal courts since 1876. It does so by capitalizing on the diverse expertise, experience, and capabilities of more than 1,100 of the brightest legal minds. These Legal Aid Society lawyers work with more than 700 social workers, investigators, paralegals, and support and administrative staff.<br/>Through a network of borough, neighborhood, and courthouse offices in 26 locations in New York City, the Society provides comprehensive legal services in all five boroughs of New York City for clients who cannot afford to pay for private counsel.

The Legal Aid Society's legal program operates three major practices-- Civil, Criminal, and Juvenile Rights-- and receives volunteer help from law firms, corporate law departments and expert consultants that is coordinated by the Society's Pro Bono program. Annually, the Society handles more than 310,000 cases and legal matters for clients with civil, criminal, and juvenile rights problems.

The Legal Aid Society's unique value is an ability to go beyond any one case to create more equitable outcomes for individuals and broader, more powerful systemic change for society as a whole. In addition to the annual caseload of 310,000 individual cases and legal matters, the Society's law reform work benefits some two million low-income families and individuals in New York City and the landmark rulings in many of these cases have a Statewide and national impact.

The Legal Aid Society takes on more cases for more clients than any other legal services organization in the United States. And it brings a depth and breadth of perspective that is unmatched in the legal profession.

Financials

Legal Aid Society
lock

Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan.

Subscribe

Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our 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.

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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 Aid Society

Board of directors
as of 4/6/2020
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Richard J. Davis

Offices of Richard J. Davis

William Schwartz

Cooley LLP

Thomas Meriam

Goodwin Procter LLP

Bradley Ruskin

Proskauer Rose LLP

Lara Buchwald

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Charles Platt

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

Barry Bohrer

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP

Mark Goodman

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Nicole Argentieri

O'Melveny & Myers LLP

Alex Chachkes

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Randy Mastro

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Richard Davis

Offices of Richard J. Davis

Sara Moss

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Alvin Bragg

New York Law School

Atif Khawaja

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Brian Polovoy

Shearman & Sterling LLP

Steven Bierman

Sidley Austin LLP

Perry Napolitano

Reed Smith LLP

Adeel Mangi

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Bart Schwartz

Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP

Joan McPhee

Ropes & Gray LLP

William Dougherty

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Scott Edelman

Milbank LLP

John Carroll

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Andrew Wasserman

Willis Towers Watson

Douglas Curtis

Arnold & Porter LLP

Tracy Richelle High

Sullivan & Cromwell

David Hille

White & Case LLP

Victor Hou

Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP

L. Kevin Sheridan

Mayer Brown LLP

David Januszewski

Cahill, Gordon & Reindel LLP

Jeffrey Kessler

Winston & Strawn LLP

Peter Williams

PW Consulting Group, LLC

Jason Halper

Cadwalader, Wickerham & Taft LLP

Deborah Archer

New York University School of Law

Sarah Cave

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Roger Meltzer

DLA Piper LLP (US)

Christopher Garcia

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Jamie Wine

Latham & Watkins LLP

Natalie Lamarque

New York Life Insurance Company

Richard Albert

Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello P.C.

Christine Varney

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Edward Flanders

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

William Savitt

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Jeffrey Fuisz

Arnold & Porter LLP

Charles Weinstein

EisnerAmper LLP

Matthew Diller

Fordham Law School

David Greenwald

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Gillian Lester

Columbia Law School

Aaron Marcu

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

J. Kevin McCarthy

BNY Mellon

Sharyl Reisman

Jones Day

Christopher Belelieu

Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? Yes

Keywords

legal, civil, criminal defense, juvenile, New Yorkers, lawyer