Founded in 1876 as the German Legal Aid Society, the organization began as the nation’s first legal office dedicated to serving low-income individuals who otherwise had no access to a lawyer. In its first year, Legal Aid handled 212 cases, primarily assisting German immigrants in New York City — laying the foundation for what would become an enduring movement for equal justice.

As New York City grew and evolved, so did The Legal Aid Society. For 150 years, the organization has adapted to serve new communities while driving systemic reforms to meet the changing needs of low-income New Yorkers.

Today, Legal Aid’s work benefits more than 2 million low-income individuals, families, and households across the five boroughs facing challenges related to the criminal, civil, and juvenile legal systems, housing instability, immigration, employment, healthcare, education, government benefits, and more every year.

Legal Aid will be celebrating throughout 2026, across the five boroughs. More events will be announced soon.