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
1943
President
Janet Sabel Esq.
Main address
199 Water Street
New York, NY 10038 USA
EIN
13-5562265
NTEE code
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.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
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.
Juvenile Rights Practice
Our Juvenile Rights Practice represents more than 30,000 children in a typical year—more than 90% of all children involved in child protective and juvenile justice cases annually in New York City’s Family Court. With the support of our specialized units and interdisciplinary teams, our innovative practice model gives children and youth powerful voices in their cases and ensures that all aspects of their lives receive the expert, focused advocacy they deserve.
Criminal Defense Practice
As New York City’s primary public defenders, the staff in The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice (CDP) are the voice for the most vulnerable New Yorkers in and out of the courts – handling over 125,000 criminal matters in a typical year. Our clients rely on us for direct representation, but our units and programs work in the communities themselves to provide guidance, resources, and lasting relationships. Through our advocacy and innovative programs, we aim to overturn a flawed system and keep vulnerable communities out of it altogether.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
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 people
Related Program
Civil Practice
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We help our clients with a wide range of civil legal matters, including but not limited to housing, immigration, employment, and health benefits.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Civil Practice
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The number of individuals benefiting from our free civil legal services. *Court closures and delays during COVID-19 limited our ability to serve clients in 2020 and 2021
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?
Through free legal services, as well as advocacy and law reform initiatives, The Legal Aid Society seeks to protect low-income New Yorker’s fundamental rights, ensure their access to critical benefits and resources, and fight oppressive systems to improve their lives.
By providing free direct legal advice and representation to tens of thousands of individuals and families across the city on topics like housing, public assistance, and employment, we stay connected to the diverse communities that make up New York. This community connection allows us to identify trending issues as they develop and address them in real-time. It also ensures our advocacy and law reform work stays on the forefront of pressing racial and social equity issues and that we combine grassroots voices with our legal expertise and credibility.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Provide direct legal services to individuals and client groups in all five boroughs through a network of neighborhood and courthouse offices, citywide units, and special projects.
Utilize our satellite outreach sites, evening clinics, Mobile Justice Unit (on hold during COVID-19), and seven telephone helplines to increase access to legal assistance.
Provide Know Your Rights trainings for our clients and their communities, expert technical assistance to other professionals, and pro se materials for clients and client groups, community-based organizations, other legal service programs, and constituent services staff of elected officials.
Utilize advocacy efforts, impact litigation, and legislative reform to hold government programs and agencies accountable and to meaningfully change systems that hold back low-income communities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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The Legal Aid Society
Board of directorsas of 3/24/2022
Zachary Charter
Zachary Carter
Former Corporation Counsel
Thomas Meriam
Goodwin Procter LLP
Alan Levine
Cooley LLP
Thomas Cerabino
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Mark Goodman
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Tracy High
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sara Moss
The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.
Bradley Ruskin
Proskauer Rose LLP
Richard Albert
Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello P.C.
Deborah Archer
New York University School of Law
Nicole Argentieri
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Christopher Belelieu
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Barry Bohrer
Mintz
Lara Buchwald
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
John Carroll
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Nancy Chung
Sidley Austin LLP
Eva Cole
Winston & Strawn LLP
Roger Cooper
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP
Matthew Matthew
Fordham Law School
June Dipchand
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
William Dougherty
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Elyse Echtman
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Scott Edelman
Milbank LLP
Natasha Fapohunda
Mastercard
Edward Flanders
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Edward Flanders
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Jeffrey Fuisz
Arnold & Porter LLP
Matthew Furman
Willis Towers Watson
Christopher Garcia
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Jeffrey Glen
Anderson Kill P.C.
Linda Goldstein
Dechert LLP
Meaghan Gragg
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Carol Greene-Vincent
Morgan Stanley
David Greenwald
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Adam Hakki
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Jason Halper
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Richard Hans
DLA Piper LLP
David Hille
White & Case LLP
Elai Katz
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
Atif Khawaja
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Marvin Krislov
Pace University
Gillian Lester
Columbia Law School
Aaron Marcu
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
J. McCarthy
BNY Mellon
Joan McPhee
Ropes & Gray LLP
Perry Napolitano
Reed Smith LLP
Charles Platt
Legal Business Services, LLC
Sharyl Reisman
Jones Day
Antony Ryan
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
William Savitt
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Paul Schoeman
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Bart Schwartz
Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP
Organizational demographics
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Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
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Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
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