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The Legal Aid Society views economic justice as a preeminent civil rights and social justice issue. We support New Yorkers in four distinct, yet interrelated, legal fields: consumer law, bankruptcy, tax law, foreclosure prevention, and small business and not-for-profit legal assistance. Through these economic equities projects, we seek to lessen wealth gaps in our City.
Every day, in courthouses and communities across the city, we advocate for the rights of all New Yorkers. Learn more about the services we provide.
Our specialized teams have experience working on nearly every area of law that impacts New Yorkers. Explore the ways we fight on behalf of clients and communities.
Consumer & Bankruptcy Law Project
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
Community Development Project
Foreclosure Prevention Project
When Andres Ramirez came to the United States from Colombia in 2015 and took a job at a coffee shop in Queens, he couldn’t have imagined that he would one day own the 58-year-old business.
The Legal Aid Society’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic works tirelessly to improve the experience of taxpayers under both the Federal and State tax laws and to ensure the fairness and integrity of the tax system with regard low-income and ESL taxpayers. One way we do so is by partnering with skilled pro bono tax advocates in order to expand access to legal representation.
We built on our relationship with the law firms of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Milbank LLP, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP which had frequently accepted cases for pro bono representation before the IRS. We partnered with them on an Offer In Compromise (OIC) Project where partners, associates, and other members of the firm provide direct representation to our clients in tax settlement cases. This collaboration allows the LITC to increase its reach in the community, gives low-income taxpayers an opportunity to fully access free and high quality legal services, and increases the private bar’s involvement in our communities.
On a daily basis, the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic assists with eliminating burdensome federal and state tax debt, the Community Development Project advocates for small business owners, nonprofit organizations, and HDFCs, and the Consumer Law Project defends against unfair debt collection practices.
Average liability avoided this year for clients of the Consumer & Bankruptcy Law Project
Tax returns prepared, and 65 clients brought into filing or collection compliance this year by the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
Homeownerships preserved this year by the Foreclosure Prevention Project
The Legal Aid Society changes the lives of our clients with the help of our generous supporters.