The Legal Aid Society

Founded in 1876, The Legal Aid Society is the nation's oldest and largest not-for-profit organization providing high quality legal services to low-income families and individuals. The Legal Aid Society is an indispensable component of the legal, social, and economic fabric of New York City—passionately advocating for individuals 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 for over 130 years. It does so by capitalizing on the diverse expertise, experience, and capabilities of 850 of the brightest legal minds. It works with 600 social workers, investigators, paralegals, and support and administrative staff in every borough of the city. It takes on more cases for more clients than any other organization in New York. And it brings a depth and breadth of perspective that is unmatched in the legal profession. 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 300,000 individual cases and legal matters, the Society's law reform work benefits some 2 million low income families and individuals in New York City and the landmark rulings in many of these cases have a State-wide and national impact. More information about the Society is available on the Society's website www.legal-aid.org.

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