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 a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week:

Trump’s “public charge” rule blocked permanently nationwide

CNN: DOJ asks Supreme Court to dismiss case related to Trump era “public charge” rule
Law360: Biden Stops Defending Trump’s Immigration Wealth Test
Law360: High Court, 7th Circ. End White House’s Public Charge Appeal
USA News: Supreme Court Dismisses Challenge to Controversial Trump-era ‘Public Charge’ Rule
The Hill: Supreme Court agrees to dismiss challenge to Trump public charge rule
Telemundo: El Gobierno de Biden elimina la polémica regla de carga pública

NYPD data: people of color subject to more than 94% of marijuana arrests

Cannabis Health Insider: People of Color Hit With Brunt of Cannabis Arrests
Gothamist: NYPD’s Enforcement Of Marijuana Laws Still Plagued By Extreme Racial Disparities
El Diario: Arrestos por marihuana con alto porcentaje entre las minorías
Pix 11: Majority of New Yorkers arrested for marijuana are Black, Hispanic: city data

Three innocent men released from prison after twenty-four years

NYT: They Spent 24 Years Behind Bars. Then the Case Fell Apart.
Newsday: Queens judge overturns murder convictions of 3 men in 1996 killing of NYPD officer

More LAS in the news

NY1: Report Finds Three Rikers Detainees Who Died of COVID-19 Were Held in Packed Dorms
The Appeal: Why NYC’s Jail Population Is Spiking as the Pandemic Continues
SI: Should sex work be a crime? As debate over decriminalizing heats up.
Riverdale Press: Sex work: Is it up next for the state agenda?
THE CITY: How the City Failed Three Men Who Died of COVID-19 in Jail: Watchdog
Huffington Post: New York’s Incarcerated Need The Vaccine. Cuomo Isn’t Giving It To Them.
Capitol Pressroom: Democratic lawmakers eye ‘clean slate’ for formerly incarcerated New Yorkers
Black Star News: Officials Must Address Deadly COVID Conditions That Persist in Jails and Prisons
US News and World Report: New York City Moves to End Solitary Confinement in Its Jails
The City: Will Cuomo Woes Stall Legal Marijuana Push?
City Limits: What New York City’s Mayoral Candidates Are Saying About Immigration
El Diario: Avanza en Senado Estatal el proyecto de ley ‘Derecho a Permanecer en Silencio’
Imprint News: Biden’s Key Child Welfare Appointee Confronts Crisis for Foster Youth, Families
NYDN: Cramped holding cells in NYC courthouses omitted from COVID-19 ventilation upgrade