Projects, Units & Initiatives

The LGBTQ+ Law and Policy Unit seeks to create, support, and sustain affirming and safer spaces, practices and policies for LGBTQ+ clients and staff within the organization and throughout New York City and New York...

The Juvenile Rights Practice Appeals Unit handles all appeals concerning our JRP clients. Most appeals arise from child protective and delinquency cases, but we handle other kinds of cases as well, including visitation and guardianship...

Our five trial offices represent 90% of children and youth in New York City’s Family Courts. Inter-disciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers, and other professionals deliver a client-driven model of advocacy in neglect, abuse, juvenile...

The Prisoners’ Rights Project is a leading advocate of humane and constitutional conditions in the New York City jails and State prisons. The Project seeks to dismantle the oppression and racism of the carceral system...

The Juvenile Rights Special Litigation and Law Reform Unit (SLLRU) addresses systemic issues affecting children in the child welfare and juvenile systems through impact litigation in State and federal courts, as well as policy and...

The Law Reform and Special Litigation Unit of the Criminal Defense Practice addresses systemic legal issues affecting the rights of Legal Aid’s public defense clients, from police misconduct to the rights of incarcerated people, and...

The Law Reform Unit builds upon the needs of individual clients to effect systemic changes through litigation and advocacy that benefit large numbers of clients with similar legal problems. Through class actions and other affirmative...

Since 2003, our Immigrant Youth Representation Project (Youth Project) has provided free, comprehensive screenings, advice, and direct representation to undocumented immigrant youth and unaccompanied minors in New York. The Youth Project defends unaccompanied youth in...

For decades, The Legal Aid Society has been a recognized leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality immigration assistance to low-income immigrant New Yorkers. Our Immigration Law Unit represents immigrants before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services...

The Legal Aid Society’s Foreclosure Prevention and Home Equity Preservation Project assists homeowners in Bronx and Queens who are struggling to maintain homeownership or who are facing foreclosure. Our free legal services are available to...