The Legal Aid Society is New York City’s largest and oldest public interest law firm and legal services provider, delivering criminal defense, civil legal services, juvenile representation, impact litigation and policy advocacy to low-income New Yorkers with the mission that no New Yorker should be denied equal justice.
Criminal justice reform and right-to-counsel issues (pretrial/bail, indigent defense funding, prison and jail conditions), tenant and housing protections, immigration and deportation defense, public benefits and poverty law, juvenile justice and child-welfare reform, reentry and collateral-consequences relief, and systemic impact litigation and legislative advocacy to expand access to justice for low-income communities.
A mix of public funding (city and state contracts and grants that primarily support criminal defense and juvenile services) supplemented by private philanthropy, foundation grants, pro bono partnerships, and individual donations that underwrite civil legal services and policy work.
Non-profit (501(c)(3)) public defender and civil legal services organization
