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Browse the latest Pro Bono Opportunities at The Legal Aid Society.
NOTE: These opportunities are only available to attorneys affiliated with firms that have an established pro bono relationship with The Legal Aid Society.
If you are interested in working on one of these matters, please contact the Pro Bono Counsel at your law firm to receive authorization and check conflicts.
The Juvenile Rights Practice is seeking Pro Bono representation for a civil matter on behalf of a client who is currently on probation for the Juvenile Delinquency matter which gave rise to this civil lawsuit. He, along with the NYPD, is being sued for physical injury to the driver of a car and damage to that car resulting from an incident where the client was driving a separate car and refused to comply with NYPD orders to pull over; in the ensuing attempt to evade the police, he allegedly struck the car being operated by the plaintiff.
Our client has now been sued for personal injury and damage to a vehicle. The scope of the work would be to represent him fully in this matter, from negotiation to trial, and make clear to the plaintiff that the client is indigent in the hopes that the plaintiff will drop him from the suit.
The Community Development Unit’s client submitted an application to the USPTO to register a trademark for her business name. The USPTO denied the application based on Trademark Act Section 2(d) for a likelihood of confusion with an already registered mark. The mark was also denied for failure to show the applied-for mark in use in commerce with any specified goods. This determination was made final by notice dated January 29, 2025. Our client does not understand the written determination from the agency attorney and would like an attorney with trademark experience to help her understand the decision and advise her on next steps.
Our Community Development Project is seeking pro bono assistance for a community creator and business owner. “Cosmic Flame” is a queer BIPOC owned small business that handcrafts and sells spiritual candles made with 100% natural soy wax. After purchasing a domain name and forming an entity using the name “Cosmic Flame,” our client sought to register “Cosmic Flame” as a word mark with the USPTO. Although her website and marketing actually employ a composite word and design mark, she only sought to register the word mark. The USPTO rejected the word mark because it determined that there would be a substantial likelihood of confusion between her proposed mark “i.e. Cosmic Flame” and “The Cosmic Candle,” a currently registered mark in the same category. Our client subsequently abandoned her application and did not attempt to register the composite word and design mark that are actually used to identify her goods and services.
Client is seeking advice and counsel on whether: 1) a registration compromising her composite mark would likely be approved, 2) she exposes herself to liability for infringement if she keeps “Cosmic Flame” as the entity name, but operates through a DBA, and 3) it is advisable that she rebrand by creating a distinctive mark that will be approved, which would entail amending her entity name and purchasing a new domain name. If it is advisable that she rebrand, client also seeks guidance on the creation of a composite mark and assistance registering the new mark with the NYS Department of State and the USPTO.
In May 2023, a fire broke out in our client’s apartment, causing him to be homeless for many months. Since returning home, our client received a letter from his landlord’s insurance company threatening to sue him for over one million dollars, claiming that his actions are responsible for the fire and ensuing damage. Our client, a senior living on social security, seeks advice and counsel from a pro bono attorney to understand next steps, including defenses or resolution strategies. If in fact the landlord’s insurance company commences litigation against this client, he would also be open to representation by an interested firm. Our client was asked to respond to the letter within fifteen days of receipt, so he is eager to receive advice as soon as possible.
This client’s preferred language is Arabic, and we expect that pro bono co-counsel would assist with providing translation and interpretation as needed.
Our client is an immigrant and the sole owner of a coffee shop in Brooklyn offering light fare, including pastries and empanadas. He began operating the business with two partners in January 2021, bought out both partners in 2024, and now is the sole owner of the business. Our client is applying for a business loan to expand the business and pay the remaining purchase price. The purchase agreement needs to be reviewed, and the LLC Operating Agreement needs to be amended to reflect the change in ownership.
Our Community Development Project’s small business client needs help drafting a Registered Design Professionals (RDP) subcontracting agreement. Our client formed a business that assists NYC building owners with Local Law 97 (carbon emissions law) through real time tracking and support. The business will provide an easy-to-use platform that tracks emissions, surfaces risk in real-time and supports reporting requirements. In the future, the business aims to offer actionable decarbonization insights and vetted contractor referrals.
The Community Development Project (CDP) partners with the NYC Department of Small Business Services Emergency Response Unit to assist small business owners impacted by a casualty, such as a fire, roof collapse, or a water main break. The business owners often have questions about how to file an insurance claim after a casualty and our team would like to create materials that describe the next steps and best practices for small business owners. Specifically, our team would like these materials to outline what steps a business owner should take after a casualty, important deadlines, including when should they file, how they would determine what their insurance policy covers and a description of the important provisions, information on damages, and whether they should they use an insurance adjuster.
The Legal Aid Society’s Community Development Unit was recently approached by a small business owner who is seeking assistance with their business bankruptcy filing and possible dissolution of their business.
The owner opened his small business in 2014, which focused on walk-in repairs to electronic equipment and sold electronics second-hand. However, maintaining the business is no longer feasible. The shop is currently closed while the owner litigates a matter pertaining to the business’s commercial space, eliminating the owner’s ability to provide any in-person services and earn income. The owner has also found he can no longer keep up with required filings and expenses, which has led to both personal and business debt.
Legal Aid does not work on either small business bankruptcy filings or dissolutions but would be willing to assist with connecting a volunteer with this client to ensure they receive the support they need.
A Section 8 tenant recently won a judgement in Bronx County small claims court against her former landlord. The landlord never returned the tenant’s security deposit when she moved out and the client needs this money to support her child who is about to begin college. This tenant seeks pro bono representation to help enforce the judgment and secure any interest that accrues. She also would like assistance in requesting an execution for the Sheriff to seize assets and navigate any potential future appeal. The landlord has filed a notice of appeal, but it is unclear if he will perfect as he is representing himself pro se.
Our Harlem Community Law Office represents low-income residents of a building in the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Third Party Transfer Program (TPT). The Third Party Transfer Program was created to rehabilitate buildings with significant delinquent municipal charges and poor housing conditions to ensure that residents are able to remain in place and live in both an affordable and rehabilitated building. TPT tenants are able to become owners of their home after the building has been rehabilitated and stabilized.
The building at issue has been in the TPT program since 2002 and HPD is currently working with the tenants and the sponsor to transfer ownership of the property to the tenants in the form of an affordable housing co-cop, otherwise known as a Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC). Our clients and staff need help reviewing the cooperative offering plan and relevant documents that need to be filed with New York State Attorney General for conversion of the premises to a tenant-owned HDFC. We may also need a review of loan documents for lender requirements, which are necessary to gain consent for conversion.
Our client is facing a holdover eviction in Brooklyn Housing Court and The Legal Aid Society is representing him in his eviction. Currently, our client needs pro bono assistance to enforce a claim against an Estate in Kings County Surrogate’s Court.
The Estate is trying to evict our client and his family from their single-family home in Brooklyn. Our client has lived in the home since 2011, when he moved in to serve as the primary caretaker of the home’s elderly owner. In 2020, our client and the owner signed a written, notarized contract in which the owner agreed to transfer his house to our client in exchange for our client’s caregiving services. The owner passed away in 2023 without a Will and without having transferred the house to our client.
On May 3, 2025, our client filed a verified claim against the Estate. The claim seeks specific performance of the 2020 contract, so transfer of the home from the Estate to our client or, in the alternative, the fair market value of the house. Our client has also asked to be repaid for the cost of the owner’s funeral. Despite our client meeting his side of the bargain, the Estate is failing to uphold theirs and our client now needs to file a proceeding to determine the validity and enforceability of the claim.