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 files to end social distancing enforcement in light of NYPD’s discriminatory practices

Brooklyn Paper: LAS Data Shows COVID-19 Enforcement Impacting Mostly Minority Communities
NYDN: NYPD needs better data on alleged bias in social distancing enforcement
Patch: Crown Heights Leads Social Distancing Tickets, Arrests From 311
Politico: Civil Rights Advocates File Motion To Suspend NYPD’s Social Distancing Enforcement
NY Post: Advocates demand probe into NYPD’s social distancing enforcement
Gothamist: Attorneys Say Social Distancing Enforcement Is Stop-And-Frisk All Over Again
NYDN: Lawyers press for end to NYPD enforcement of social distancing
The Nation: There’s Only One Possible Conclusion: White America Likes Its Killer Cops
Brooklyn Paper: Stop-and-Frisk Plaintiffs Demand Probe of NYPD COVID-19 Enforcement
West Side Rag: More Than 700 Social Distancing Complaints on the UWS, But No Arrests
Yahoo News: UES 1 Of NYC’s Top Areas For Social Distancing Complaints: Study
AMNY: Stop-and-frisk plaintiffs demand probe of NYPD COVID-19 enforcement
Yahoo News: Stop-And-Frisk Lawyers Cry Foul On Social Distancing Policing

LAS advocates to further protect New Yorkers from eviction 

NYDN: Prevent people from getting kicked out of their homes when the coronavirus crisis ends
Queens Daily Eagle: Social justice leaders urge Albany to pass ‘Good Cause’ eviction bill
Norwood News: New Permanent Eviction Protection For Tenants Impacted By COVID-19
QNS: Stop-and-frisk plaintiffs demand probe of NYPD COVID-19 enforcement
Bronx Times: Lawmakers pass COVID-19 eviction protection bill for New York City renters

LAS pushes for decarceration as COVID-19 spreads in jails and prisons 

ABA Just Pod: Prisoners of COVID-19
Filter Magazine: People With Mental Health Diagnoses Left Out of “Historic” NYC Decarceration
The Intercept: NY Appealed to Keep an Elderly Prisoner Behind Bars — Then He Got Coronavirus

More LAS in the news

PBS: Criminal defendants in limbo as trials put on hold during pandemic
Bronx Times: The challenge of finding affordable housing in the Bronx’s Community Board 8
City Limits: A new pot of pot revenue unlikely to save the state budget
THE CITY: Juvenile Detention Population Climbs After COVID Releases
City Limits: Opinion: Don’t Leave the Vulnerable with Less Defense in NYC Courtrooms
The APPEAL: A Transgender Woman’s Attorney Fears She Won’t Survive Her 60-Month Sentence