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:

LAS secures ruling to ensure incarcerated clients’ access to medical care

Gothamist: Judge Orders Greater Access To Medical Care At Rikers Island
NYLJ: Bronx Judge Sets Deadline for NYC Jails to Show Improved Inmate Medical Access
El Diario: Tribunal determina que la Ciudad falla en dar atención médica a los presos en las cárceles
Queens Daily Eagle: DOC fails to provide medical care, judge rules

LAS demands clemency for client Reggie Randolph

Pix 11: Legal group urges clemency for NY man in prison for stealing cold medicine
The Appeal: State Senators Ask Gov. to Commute Sentence of Man Who Spent 800 Days in Rikers
NYS Focus: State Senators Ask Hochul to Commute Sentence of Man Who Spent 800 Days in Rikers
Mindset News: 58-Year-Old Man with History of Mental Illness Deteriorating in NY Prison

Monitor: situation on Rikers Island remains dire

CBS2: Rikers Island Federal Monitor Finds Conditions Have Substantially Worsened
The City: Rikers Report Calls 2021 ‘Most Dangerous Year’ Amid Escalating Jailhouse Violence
The Chief Leader: City Jails Remain ‘Dire’ Despite Improvements
AMNY: Violence down in NYC jails, DOC  says but advocates say improvements are minimal

More LAS in the news

PIX11: New legislation gets more families out of shelters, into their own homes
NYDN: NYPD still using controversial DNA lab for investigations after City Hall said ties were cut
Bronx Times: Biaggi, community leaders advocate for internet access in all homeless shelters
City & State: Good cause eviction has momentum leading into 2022
TheBrian Lehrer Show: Ask the Mayor: Looking at Affordable Housing
Cheddar News: COVID-19 Causes Massive Backlog in Court Cases
Crain’s: De Blasio’s final budget update leaves much uncertain
Open Minds: Lawsuit Challenges New York’s System Of Disqualifying Potential Kinship Caregivers
City Limits: Advocates Urge Hochul to Sign Rental Subsidy Increase for Lowest Income Families
AMNY: Crime trends up in Nov, but Mayor touts 8-year decrease during final briefing with NYPD