Welcome from LSCNY's Executive Director

Welcome to Legal Services of Central New York, Inc. We are pleased that you stopped by and hope that you will find what you are look around our site. You will learn about us – what we do, who we serve, and where you might find help for your civil legal problem. We are constantly exploring new ways to help those who have legal problems but cannot afford a lawyer. We hope that we can reach more clients, either directly or thorough community service providers.

We are a non-profit law firm founded in 1966 to provide free, civil legal assistance to low-income families and individuals in thirteen counties of Central New York. We provide our clients legal assistance with 13 lawyers and 2 paralegals. We are governed by Boards of Directors made up of attorneys, clients, and community representatives. We serve clients residing in Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, and Oswego Counties.

Low-income New Yorkers generally experience more than two serious civil legal problems each year. These legal problems often affect families' and individuals' basic needs – food, shelter, medical care, safety, and family stability. When such problems are experienced and not addressed, their disruptive force affects the ability to work and live productively and independently. This destabilizing factor contributes to the cycle of poverty. When low-income people in Central New York have civil legal problems, they can turn to us.

Our clients are familiar faces to all of us. They are our neighbors, co-workers and friends. They are senior citizens, veterans, and disabled individuals who turn to us in their time of need. They are families and individuals denied legal protection because they cannot afford an attorney. In Central New York, about 265,000 people are financially eligible for legal services from the Justice Alliance. Each year we work on cases which affect the lives of more than 17,000 people. Two-thirds of our clients are women, often struggling to raise a family on their own; more than half of our cases directly impact the lives of children.

The legal assistance we provide ensures our clients have those things many of us take for granted. We represent people in court, at administrative hearings, before government agencies and the legislature. We apply our resources and expertise to ensure our clients' needs are addressed fairly and their voices heard. We address important local issues and concerns, guiding our clients through complicated laws, helping them know and enforce their rights. In short, we help stabilize the lives of people who have been marginalized, helping them achieve dignity.

In 2004, LSCNY, the Legal Aid Society of Mid New York, and Legal Aid for Broome and Chenango Counties reorganized. A major funding source had restricted funding for certain types on clients (non-citizens, for example) and certain types of critical legal strategies (class actions, for example). Civil legal services was reorganized in our region in order to make sure that we can use the full array of legal tools that lawyers have to properly represent people with significant legal needs.

Because of our funding, LSCNY generally represents low-income families and individuals and people with disabilities on problems related to their disability. We represent residents of Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Otsego Counties. Through other disability grants, LSCNY also serves clients in Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties.

In 2005, our work is supported by 10 grants from federal, state, and local government sources. In this time of reduced governmental funding, we are constantly searching for new ways to fund services. LSCNY receives funding from New York State, including grants from the Interest on Lawyers Account Fund (IOLA), Commission on Quality of Care, and the New York State Legislature. LSCNY engages in state and federal court litigation, including class actions, legislative advocacy at the state and local level, administrative rulemaking, representation of community based organizations, community legal education, and transactional representation. LSCNY's work benefits thousands of people each year.

Our work is far-reaching. Legal services helps low-income families and individuals secure not only the necessities of life, but human dignity. By restoring individuals and families to productive, independent and healthier lives, the entire community benefits.

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This page was last updated February 6, 2005.