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:

Statement from counsel on the killing of LAS client Rameek Smith

NYT: Man Dead and Officer Wounded After a Chase in the Bronx
AMNY: Suspect who shot cop in Bronx gunfight dies of his injuries
ABC7: Suspect in shooting of NYPD officer was repeat offender
AP: NYPD officer shot in arm, suspect killed in Bronx shootout
NYDN: Gunman killed in Bronx shootout with NYPD cops was freed without bail by judge
NY Post: ‘Dangerous criminal’ in shootout with cops dies after he was freed on weak bail laws
SI Advance: Advocates: fatal shooting underscores ‘need for early intervention, access to services’
Patch: NYPD Officer Wounded In Bronx Gunfight, Suspect Dies: Cops
CBS New York: NYPD: Officer shot in the arm, suspect killed in Bronx shootout
NY1: Officer shot, suspect killed during shootout in the Bronx: NYPD
NBC New York: NYPD Officer Shot in Bronx, Suspect Dies: Police

LAS decries preliminary vote to raise rent on vulnerable tenants

City Limits: NYC’s Rent Guidelines Board Considers 2% to 4% Hikes for Stabilized Units
NY1 Noticias: Proponen alza en renta; defensores de inquilinos condenan el incremento
Patch: NYC Regulated Apartments Could See Historic Rent Hike
City & State: What you need to know about rent hikes in New York City
Thrillist: Heads-Up, Your Stabilized Rent in NYC Is About to Increase
El Diario: Proponen subir rentas estabilizadas entre 2 y 6% para compensar la inflación
Manhattan Times: Rent hikes approved for regulated units

Court: NYS law enforcement must end familial DNA searches

AP News: New York court halts family DNA searches for crime suspects
CBS News: New York court halts family DNA searches for crime suspects
1010 Wins: NY court rules police can’t use familial DNA searches
NYLJ: Long Island DA Asks Lawmakers to Reinstate Use of Familial DNA in Solving Cold Cases
NYP: GOP call for Albany Dems to let police use ‘familial DNA’ on cold cases

More LAS in the news

NYLJ: Leading Bail Reform Advocate to Take Reins as Legal Aid’s CEO
NYS Focus: Retired Judges and Advocates: Don’t Let Cops Interrogate Kids Without a Lawyer
NYT: He’s In Charge of Fixing Rikers Island. His Plan Is Due in 11 Days.
El Diario: $10.5 millones de dólares en compensación por pasar 24 años preso siendo inocente
BK Reader: New Poll Finds NY’ers Back Legislation Providing No-Fault Evictions
Tech Dirt: Staten Island DA Used Forfeiture Funds To Secretly Purchase Clearview AI Access
Reclaim The Net: Staten Island DA purchased controversial social media facial recognition software
NY1: Report finds DOC failures in Rikers deaths
Caribbean Life: Retired judges want counseling for youth prior to police interrogation
CBS New York: NYC landlords, brokers accused of discriminating against low-income tenants.
Gotham Gazette: To Address Homelessness, NYC Must Take on Housing Voucher Discrimination
El Diario: Reporte: ‘guillotina’ de Rikers está más afilada por fallas de personal penitenciario
Amsterdam News: URBAN AGENDA: Mayor Adams Must Destroy NYPD Ill-Gotten DNA Samples
NY Magazine: Eric Adams Can’t Afford to Lose the New York Post
El Diario: Instan a promulgar ley en Nueva York por el ‘derecho a permanecer callado’
Law360: New York Employee Lien Bill Advances As Debate Continues
CBS New York: Mayor Eric Adams announces new task force to tackle problems at Rikers Island
Queens Daily Eagle: Mayor launches task force to fix Rikers
NYDN: Adams names blue-ribbon panel to fix Rikers Island as threat of jails takeover looms