Press Room

For press inquiries, contact:

Pat Bath
Communications Director
The Legal Aid Society
pbath@legal-aid.org
212-577-3346

Redmond J. Haskins
Deputy Communications Director
The Legal Aid Society
rhaskins@legal-aid.org
929-441-2384

Current Press Releases and Statements:

April 2021

04/17/21 LAS Response to Reports of OCA Suspension of Family Court Clerk who Used Racial Slurs
04/16/21 Defenders Respond to Reports that NYC Court Clerk Used Racial Slurs to Refer to 15-Year-Old
04/16/21 LAS To Albany: Renew Eviction Freeze Ahead of Expiration, Prevent Widespread Homelessness
04/15/21 Advocates to City Hall: Incarcerated New Yorkers Need Greater Voting Access Immediately
04/15/21 Joint Statement on DA Announcement to Vacate Convictions in Cases of Corrupt Detective
04/14/21 LAS Statement on Dismissal of Landlord Lawsuit Attempting to End NY Eviction Moratorium
04/14/21 Legal Aid, PA Williams and Advocates to Call for Greater Access to Voting in Local Jails
04/14/21 LAS and Debevoise File Lawsuit Against City, NYPD For Illegal Arrest of New Yorkers
04/14/21 LAS and BronxConnect Urge Lawmakers to Enact #Right2RemainSilent Legislation
04/13/21 LAS Flags May 31 Deadline for Immigrant Youth Denied Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
04/12/21 Advisory: Workers, Supporters and Legislators Call for the SWEAT Bill so Workers are Paid
04/08/21 LAS Secures Dismissal for Client Who Was Arrested, Placed in a Knee-on-Neck Hold by NYPD
04/07/21 LAS Statement on $2.1 Billion Fund for Excluded Workers in NT State’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget
04/07/21 LAS Statement on DA Vacating Convictions for Clients Whose Cases Involved Corrupt Cop
04/06/21 FOIL Documents Reveal Extent of NYPD’s Use of Clearview AI Facial Recognition Technology
04/06/21 LAS Statement on Rent Relief Package in New York State’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget
04/06/21 LAS Secures Settlement Ensuring Homeless Students Have Access to Working WiFi at Shelters
04/06/21 LAS Calls on Albany to Transition to Video Hearings for all Parole Matters or Face Litigation
04/05/21 Defenders Call on Albany to Enact the Less Is More Act Immediately
04/02/21 LAS and 35+ Organizations Call for Greater Access to Voter Registration in NYC Jails
04/01/21 LAS Statement on the Governor Signing the HALT Solitary Confinement Bill Into Law
04/01/21 60+ Organizations Call on DHS Secretary to End ICE’s Discriminatory Gang Prioritization
04/01/21 LAS Statement From Counsel for Brandon Elliot

March 2021

03/31/21 LAS Statement on International Transgender Day of Visibility
03/31/21 LAS Statement on the Passing of Justice Paul Feinman
03/31/21 LAS Celebrates Signing of MRTA Into Law, Urges Albany to Enact Additional Reforms
03/29/21 NY Supreme Court Rules Incarcerated People Must be Offered COVID Vaccine Immediately
03/28/21 LAS Statement on NYS Marijuana Legalization
03/25/21 LAS Statements on the Mayor’s Police Reform Plan, Qualified Immunity Legislation
03/24/21 LAS: City Council Should Reject Mayor de Blasio’s Policing Plan
03/23/21 LAS Calls on Albany to Advance Key Housing Priorities to Help Struggling Tenants
03/23/21 LAS Renews Demand for Citywide Audit of all Privileged Attorney-Client Phone Recordings
03/22/21 Defenders Call for an End to All Recordings of Phone Calls by New Yorkers Incarcerated in Jails
03/21/21 NYC Defenders Decry Breach of Attorney-Client Privilege in Wrongly Recorded Phone Calls
03/19/21 Advisory: Mayoral Candidates to Debate Economic and Housing Insecurity Issues
03/18/21 LAS Response to the Gendered and Racist Asian Violence Near Atlanta, Georgia
03/18/21 LAS Calls on Governor to Enact the HALT Solitary Confinement Act Immediately
03/18/21 LAS Files Lawsuit to Secure New Yorkers in NYS Prisons Access to The COVID-19 Vaccine
03/16/21 LAS Statement in Support of the Black Freedom Project’s Marijuana Legalization Advocacy Day
03/16/21 LAS Lauds Tenfold Increase in Anti-Eviction “Hardship Declarations” Submissions in NYC
03/16/21 NYS Agrees to Waive Onerous “Lawsuit Requirement” for Eviction Prevention Supplement
03/15/21 LAS Statement on Likely Deal Between Albany Lawmakers on Marijuana Legalization in NYS
03/15/21 LAS Files Federal Suit Challenging Housing Voucher Discrimination
03/15/21 Advisory: Advocates Announce Fair Housing Investigation, Legal Action
03/12/21 Statement on Criminalization Bars in the U.S. Citizenship Act, American Dream and Promise Act
03/12/21 LAS Demands City Take Action to Remedy Dangerous Conditions in Courthouses
03/11/21  LAS Calls on Albany to Enact the Less Is More Act Immediately
03/11/21  NYIFUP Demands Answers on Vaccination Plan for Detained Immigrants
03/10/21 NYPD Data: New Yorkers of Color Were Subjects of More Than 94% of Marijuana Arrests
03/09/21 LAS, BronxConnect Applaud Committee Passage of #Right2RemainSilent Legislation
03/09/21 Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule Blocked
03/08/21 LAS Statement on the City’s Solitary Confinement Practices
03/08/21 Advisory: Officials Join Advocates in Demand to Address Dangerous Jails and Prisons
03/08/21 Officials Must Address the Deadly COVID-19 Conditions That Persist in Jails and Prisons
03/05/21 Three Innocent Queens Men to Be Released From Prison Following Wrongful Convictions
03/04/21 Advisory: Hearing to Rule on Release of Three Innocent Queens Men After 24 Years
03/04/21 #Right2RemainSilent Campaign Aims to Protect Youth Interrogated by Police
03/03/21 Advisory: Youth, Parents, Advocates, More to Announce #Right2RemainSilent Campaign
03/01/21 U.S. Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest in Lawsuit M.G. v. Cuomo
03/01/21 LAS Implores Lawmakers to Enact The COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program

February 2021

02/25/21 Public Defenders Ask Court to Force State to Offer Vaccine to Incarcerated People
02/25/21 LAS Condemns Increase in Violence Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
02/25/21 LAS Condemns NYC DOC for Placing Young People in Enhanced Supervision Housing
02/25/21 LAS Calls on City to Fire NYPD Officer Fabio Nunez
02/24/21 As Vaccine Eligibility Expands, Incarcerated New Yorkers Must Be Included
02/24/21 Broken Promises: City Makes Little Progress on Expunging Rogue DNA Index
02/23/21 LAS Secures Decision in Holden v. Port Authority Allowing Claims to Proceed to Trial
02/23/21 LAS Calls on NYS to Pass Legislation to Stop Unethical Medicaid Collection Practices
02/22/21 Immigrant Rights Groups React to SCOTUS Taking Up Public Charge, Call on Biden to Rescind
02/18/21 Officials, Advocates Urge Tenants to Submit “Hardship Declaration Forms” to Prevent Eviction
02/17/21  Advisory: Press Conference Urges Tenants to Submit “Hardship Declaration Forms”
02/16/21 LAS Statement on Ruling in Uniformed Fire Officers Association, et al. v. Bill de Blasio
02/11/21  LAS Urges New York Tenants to Submit Anti-Eviction “Hardship Declarations” 
02/10/21 New Yorkers Incarcerated in City Jails on Technical Parole Violations Hits Nine-Month High
02/09/21 LAS Files Lawsuit to Temporarily Waive “Lawsuit Requirement” for FHEPS Program
02/08/21 LAS Lauds Senate Committee Passage of the Less Is More Act, Urges Legislature to Act
02/05/21 Cuomo’s Prison Vaccination Announcement Offers Little Change for Incarcerated New Yorkers
02/04/21 Public Defenders Sue NY, Claim Vaccine Denial Violates Rights of Incarcerated People
02/04/21 Advocates Call on Albany to End the Arrest and Prosecution of Children Under 12 Years Old
02/04/21 Immigration Advocates Demand Release of People in Detention After New ICE Guidance
02/04/21 Trailblazing Litigants Respond to the Repeal of New York’s “Walking While Trans” Statute
02/02/21 Immigrant Advocates Welcome President Biden’s Executive Order on “Public Charge” Rule
02/02/21 LAS Statement on Governor Cuomo Repealing New York’s “Walking While Trans” Statute
02/02/21 LAS Lauds Passage of Legislation to Repeal New York’s “Walking While Trans” Law
02/01/21 LAS Condemns State & City for Failure to Ensure Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine
02/01/21 5,000 Incarcerated New Yorkers in DOCCS’ Custody Have Now Tested Positive for COVID-19