Call 212-577-3300
Projects, Units & Initiatives
The Community Justice Unit (CJU) was established in 2011 as part of the New York City Council’s Task Force to Combat Gun Violence to serve as the primary legal service provider for the City’s Community Violence Intervention programs. Recognizing the critical need to support community-based organizations whose work is to address gun violence as a public health crisis, CJU follows the Cure Violence model: advocate for communities with legal wraparound services to develop proactive strategies to reduce gun and gang violence, especially involving at-risk youth. We partner with New York City’s Crisis Management System, a citywide network of community-based organizations and city agencies, to create healthier, safer communities.
The Community Justice Unit offers a number of essential legal services to New Yorkers across our city. In the past year, we’ve provided more than 2,572 individual legal services as part of our work with Cure Violence partners, including helping individuals obtain their rap sheets and seal their criminal records, offering legal advice, assisting New Yorkers with housing issues, and running a 24/7 hotline for legal emergencies. In addition, CJU staff and attorneys held 190 different community events across all five boroughs, including Know Your Rights events, rallies, and educational clinics. There are currently 40 CMS/Cure Violence sites in New York City.
Originally launched during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the CJU Mobile Justice Unit (MJU) was created to bring critical legal services to disaster-impacted communities most affected by the storm. CJU continued to deliver critical support directly to underserved neighborhoods. In partnership with Crisis Management System organizations, CJU deployed the MJU at community events, Peace Week initiatives, and neighborhood outreach efforts. Through this on-the-ground approach, staff provided immediate legal guidance, distributed accessible “know your rights” materials, and connected community members to ongoing support.
CJU partners with community organizations and elected officials for its ongoing Know Your Rights Ambassador Training series, which educates students about the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) gang database, police encounters and youth organizing. Upon completion of the training, participants become youth ambassadors who will continue to facilitate Know Your Rights workshops around these critical topics.
The training curriculum focuses on the rights that New Yorkers have to protect themselves from illegal police searches and other acts of misconduct. Attendees learn about the NYPD’s gang raid tactics, and ways to fight the Department’s overinclusive gang labeling. Youth ambassadors also learn how to become skillful and knowledgeable presenters to conduct workshops around this issue with their peers.
CJU and SLU hosted a Jury of Our Peers workshop at St. Nicks Alliance in Brooklyn for over 50 participants. The workshop highlighted the importance of jury duty and encouraged people to join ongoing advocacy efforts to change New York’s felony disenfranchisement law.
CJU attended a Harlem shooting response with our CV partners, community members, and elected officials to denounce gun violence following the fatality and injuries that occurred at King Towers basketball court.
CJU and BPA Fellow Alyssa Williams tabled in front of the UNS office in Brooklyn. They provided on-the-spot consultations and legal brochures to community members.
CJU, in partnership with Guns Down Life Up, hosted a powerful youth-led forum focused on the proposed New York State mask ban—legislation that would criminalize wearing masks at protests, rallies, and other public assemblies.
While framed as a public safety measure, the forum underscored concerns that the policy is more likely to exacerbate the over-policing and criminalization of Black and brown youth.
The forum was a powerful reminder of why CJU’s work matters. Young people and the communities we serve deserve to know their rights and informed about laws and policies that affect their lives—so they can take action before harmful measures are passed, and before harm is done.
The Legal Aid Society launched its FOIL yourself website in 2018 in order to streamline the process for New Yorkers to submit a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to determine if they have been labeled by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) as a gang affiliate. Like the stop and frisk strategies that the NYPD relied upon in the recent past, the databases are likely to be over-inclusive and inaccurate. Unlike the stop and frisk records, the databases are secret, do not require even a suspicion of criminality, and are not subject to Fourth Amendment protection and judicial review.
To request a Know Your Rights workshop or training about how to assert your constitutional rights during police encounters email CJU@legal-aid.org.