Program Explanation
| Legal Practice Group | Clients Served | Common Issues | Counties Served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Advocacy Unit | Clients or Advocacy Strategy Restricted under LSC Act; IOLA Financial Guidelines | Poverty Law Issues, including Housing, Public Assistance, Access to Justice, Health Care, Education, Discrimination, Etc. | Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego |
| Protection & Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) | Persons with a Developmental Disability | Care & Treatment, Abuse and Neglect, Special Education, Medicaid (durable medical equipment, home care services), Substituted Decision-Making, Community Education | Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins |
| Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) | Persons with Mental Illness or Emotional Impairment | Discrimination, Appropriate Care and Treatment in Institutions, Substituted Decision-Making, Abuse and Neglect, Community Education | Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins |
| Client Assistance Program (CAP) | Persons Seeking or Receiving Rehabilitative Services | Denial to School or Program, Employment Placement, Conflict with Rehabilitation Counselors, Vocational Goal Dispute | Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Clinton, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, St.Lawrence, Tioga and Tompkins |
| Protection & Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) | Persons with a Disability but Not Eligible for Other P&A | Employment Discrimination, Medicaid (including durable medical equipment), Access to Services or Programs | Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, Oswego, Schuyler, Tompkins, and Tioga |
| Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) | Recipients of SSI/SSD returning to Employment | Employment Discrimination, Consumer Debt, Medicaid, Discrimination in Higher Education Programs | Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins |
| Protection and Advocacy for People with Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) | Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury | Assist people with TBI in overcoming barriers to benefits and services | All of New York State |
| AIDS Law Project | HIV+ people with children (client may be child’s caretaker or parent) | Standby Guardianship, Custody, Visitation, Neglect, Paternity, Child Support; Adoption; SSI; Wills, Health Care Proxies; HIV-related discrimination | Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Tioga, and Tompkins |
| Foreclosure Project(Start date 1/09) | Home in foreclosure; Loan meets statutory criteria | Foreclosure defense | Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, and Oswego |
| Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) | Unsuccessful SSI Claimants seeking judicial review | SSI Claims | Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego |
| Fifth Judicial District Pro Bono Action Now Project | Families and Individuals under 200% of federal poverty guidelines | Poverty Law Issues, including Consumer, Family Law, Housing, Public Assistance, etc. | Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego |
| Cancer Legal Advocacy and Services Program (CLASP) | None, but targets persons under 200% of federal poverty guidelines | Permanency Planning, Access to Health Care, Insurance Issues, Benefits, Housing, Family Law Matters | Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, St. Lawrence, Tioga, Tompkins |
Legal Services of Central New York, Inc., provides free legal services. Each request for service or representation is reviewed to determine our availability to represent. Due to limited resources, we cannot represent every person who contacts us. Acceptance of an individual case is based on numerous factors, including the nature of the request, merits of the claim, availability of resources at LSCNY, and commitments to current clients. We do not handle criminal matters. Assistance may include counsel and advice only, or more extensive representation depending on the nature of the case and other factors. For those persons whom we are unable to represent, we provide information, referral, and technical assistance whenever possible.