At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are some highlights of our work in 2019:

CAPstat Database
The Legal Aid Society launched “CAPstat” – a database containing publically available information culled from federal civil rights lawsuits brought against the New York City Police Department for misconduct, alongside the disciplinary summaries BuzzFeed published last year and other public information – all of which is accessible to the public for the first time. Read more about our work to keep police accountable in The New York Times.

Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform
Staff from our Criminal Defense Practice joined with community advocates, many of them personally impacted by the justice system, to mount an action plan and campaign to reform key criminal justice laws, educate the public, and advocate for legislation to force needed changes to the state’s bail, discovery, and speedy trial laws. Learn more about these crucial reforms on the Brian Lehrer Show.

Historic Rent Reform
Our housing practitioners made history this year by coordinating the largest statewide coalition of tenant and affordable housing advocates in recent history and securing the most significant changes to the rent regulation system in a generation. The new law expanded regulation statewide for the first time and eliminated high-rent vacancy decontrol and preferential rents. Read more about these once-in-a-generation housing reforms in The New York Times.

Public Charge Injunction
The Legal Aid Society achieved a major victory for immigrant communities across our country. The federal court blocked the Trump Administration’s new “public charge” rule. If enacted, the rule change would prevent noncitizens from obtaining family-based adjustment of status because of their receipt of housing and other lawful benefits. Learn more about this critical work at NBC News.

Juvenile Fingerprint Database Destroyed
The Legal Aid Society condemned the New York Police Department (NYPD) for maintaining an illegal database of juvenile fingerprints for years – affecting tens of thousands of young New Yorkers, many of whom were never found guilty of a crime – which was finally confirmed destroyed by the NYPD. Read more about this victory for our youngest clients in The Intercept.