Fighting poverty and seeking justice for low-income …...for the program included online learning and went beyond tradi-tional litigation skills. The attorneys learned about structural

LEGA L SERV ICE S N YCA NN UA L REPORT 201 4

Fighting poverty and seeking justice for low-income New Yorkers

2014Statistics

“No issue is more fundamental to the courts’ constitutional mission than ensuring equal justice for all. The availability of affordable legal representation for low-income New Yorkers is indispensable to our ability to carry out that mission.” — Hon. Jonathan Lippman

Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals

1.7 million New Yorkers live below the federal poverty line.

In New York, for each $1 in funding, legal aid providers generate $6 in economic benefits for New Yorkers.

$1

$1

$1

$1

$1

$1

$1

=

In New York, fewer than 20% of all civil legal needs of low-income families and individuals are met.

In NYC, 91% of petitioners and 92% of respondents do not have lawyers in child support matters in family court.

Legal Services

2014 Annual Report | 1

Approximately 1 in 4 homeless women are homeless because of their experiences with violence.

Legal services is one of the most effective ways to help women living in poverty escape intimate partner violence.

of women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimatepartner in their lifetime. Fewer than

of domestic violence victims were able to obtain legal assistance.

The CDC found that

24%

1/3In NYC, 99% of tenants areunrepresented in evictionproceedings.

2 | Legal Services NYC

Legal Services NYC is proud to present this report of our many accomplishments in 2014.

Our mission—to fight for racial, social, and economic justice on behalf of the poorest among us—requires the support of all New Yorkers. We could not do what we do without your help. We thank you for all of your support.

Civil legal services are crucial to helping people protect their livelihoods, their health, and their families.

As you will read in the pages ahead, our advocates work tirelessly for the people we serve: tenants who are harassed and otherwise victimized by their landlords; low-wage workers who are discriminated against because of poor credit ratings; immigrants who have come to America to escape domestic and gang violence; and veterans who need legal help to secure the benefits they’re owed so that when they return from combat they can reintegrate into society and support their families.

We pride ourselves on our ability to solve the complex problems our clients face, on our efforts to identify and attack the roots of those prob-lems, and on our deep connections with our client communities.

Yet, however hard we work, most low-income New Yorkers lack access to a lawyer to help them secure the essentials of life—shelter, economic security, access to healthcare and education, and safety for themselves and their families.

We hope you are as impressed with the work of our staff as we are. Please continue your support so that we can expand our services to those who need our help. Thank you for being our partner in seeking justice for low-income New Yorkers.

Raun J. Rasmussen Executive Director

Michael D. YoungBoard Chair

Letter from the Board Chair and Executive Director

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

1 Legal Services Statistics

2 Letter from the Board Chair and Executive Director

3 LSNYC in the News

4 Equal Rights

6 Housing

8 Immigration

9 Economic Rights

10 Pro Bono

12 Pro Bono Partners

13 Financial Report

15 Our Supporters

20 Board of Directors


ASSOCIATED PRESS

Residents Evicted for Others’ Crimes

To settle lawsuit, the Housing Authority will change how it handles apartment applications from domestic violence victims

Brooklyn Tenants Sue, Claim Landlord Trying to Evict Them to Lure Wealthier Clientele

Language Access Projects Crucial to Making Legal Services Accessible

NYCHA Must Make Sure Messages Communicated to the Blind After Lawsuit

Tenants in buildings owned by The Pinnacle Group filing claims as part of settlement following class action suit

Faulty sanctions plague city welfare recipients

Finding Interpreters Poses

Challenge for State Courts

Students Suit Settled in New York City: Department of Education Will Train 1,500 Sta� Members in �erapeutic Crisis Intervention Techniques

Hurricane Sandy Anniversary 2014: Flood Insurance To Rise For Many NYC Homeowners

Brooklyn workers headed to trial in Atlantic Yards case

NYPD ROUTINELY FAILS TO TRANSLATE NON-ENGLISH REPORTS: LAWSUIT

Tenants Living Amid Rubble in Rent-Regulated Apartment War

New Tenant Protections: Got Teeth?

LSNYC In The News


Racial Justice Training Supports Race-Conscious AdvocacySix LSNYC attorneys completed a seven-month-long Racial Justice In-stitute offered by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. The goal of the program is to place tools of race-conscious advocacy into the hands of attorneys working in low-income communities.

“The Institute gave us a chance to formalize our thinking about how race might affect our clients,” said Bronx Public Benefits Unit Supervis-ing Attorney Sienna Fontaine. “In an organization like LSNYC, we have a lot of different practices and a lot of different ideas about the relevance of race, and this helps spark and inform a conversation.”

The attorneys were among 35 select-ed nationally for the Institute, which

Equal Rights Initiative to Build Upon Record in Fighting Discrimination

Equal Rights

LSNYC launched an Equal Rights Initiative in 2014 to increase our capacity to advance anti-discrimina-tion litigation and advocacy.

“ERI will work with all our local offic-es to identify and challenge systemic discrimination issues clients are grappling with that prevent them from accessing the services and pro-grams they need,” said Coordinator Amy Taylor.

In its first year, the initiative’s law-yers trained staff working in organi-zations serving low-income, immi-grant, LGBT, HIV-positive, and other New Yorkers routinely discriminated against. The ERI also held workshops in English, Spanish, and Mandarin for low-income New Yorkers to learn about their rights.

Also in 2014, LSNYC successfully settled two lawsuits commenced by the ERI:

• One client was subject to a discriminatory credit check and fired from her job at a large Manhattan entertainment venue. The settlement compensated her for her lost pay and emotional injuries.

• Two HIV-positive clients were discriminated against and denied vocational rehabilitation training at a state office in Queens. The settlement included compensation for the clients and an agreement that the office staff receive discrimination training.

In addition to litigating, ERI works closely with a group of civil rights and legal services attorneys and the newly energized City Human Rights Commission (HRC) to promote equal rights. New funding for the HRC and a new commissioner (Carmelyn Malalis, an accomplished civil rights litigator who has collaborated with LSNYC in the past), will allow our work to be even more effective in the coming year.

In its first year, the initiative’s lawyers trained staff working in organizations serving low-income, immigrant, LGBT, HIV-positive, and other New Yorkers routinely discriminated against.


LSNYC conducted the first compre-hensive citywide survey of the legal needs of low-income LGBT New Yorkers in 2014. Five hundred people completed the survey, catalyzing LSNYC efforts to coordinate and direct its LGBT-focused services across the boroughs.

“Legal Services NYC has been rep-resenting the LGBT community for our entire history, because many of its members are low-income and come to us for all the services we offer,” said Senior Staff Attorney Sonja Shield. “The survey provided a way to identify problems and needs, and also a way to tell people that we address the needs of the LGBT com-munity and offer a safe, respectful place to get help.”

LSNYC trained a cadre of volunteers and interns who fanned out across the city with iPads to present the survey in English or Spanish at doz-

LGBT Survey Identifies Needs, Opens Doors

ens of community-based organiza-tions that serve LGBT people.

Responses highlighted major prob-lems, including caseworkers who turn away or humiliate transgender people, and unmet needs, particu-larly in resolving immigration issues and legal assistance with changing one’s name. After completing the survey, many respondents immedi-ately sought LSNYC’s legal help.

In 2014, LSNYC also led the creation of a citywide LGBT services task-force. More than 150 advocates and social service providers representing 30 organizations are participating. The survey will inform the group’s work by bringing into focus the most urgent needs of low-income LGBT people in New York City.

In 2014, LSNYC also led the creation of a citywide LGBT services taskforce. More than 150 advocates and social service providers representing 30 organizations are participating. The survey will inform the group’s work by bringing into focus the most urgent needs of low-income LGBT people in New York City.

LSNYC staff brought our groundbreaking survey to organizations and events all over the City, including

here at the Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair

began with a four-day intensive training in Chicago. The curriculum for the program included online learning and went beyond tradi-tional litigation skills. The attorneys learned about structural racism and implicit bias and how the occurrence of implicit bias can be used in liti-gation. They met, and were inspired by, some of the leading civil rights lawyers in the country. And they learned practical skills such as media messaging.

In 2015, the LSNYC attorneys will share the knowledge and skills they learned with other attorneys on staff through a series of litigation training workshops focused on race.

Above: RJI participants Pavita Krishnaswamy, Sienna Fontaine, Maribel Martinez-Gunter,

Amy Taylor and Johane Severin


In a city often numbed by the frequency of landlord harassment of tenants, the situation at 98 Linden Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, was a sharp reminder of the misery that tenants can be subjected to by a greedy landlord.

In 2013, landlord Joel Israel asked two ten-ants at 98 Linden Street for access to make repairs. Instead of fixing their apartments, however, the worker they let in destroyed their kitchens and bathrooms with a sledge-hammer and electric saw. For months, our clients and their families were forced to use the kitchen and bathroom in a neighbor’s apartment, or the bathrooms at a fast food restaurant nearby.

“This is the most egregious example of land-lord harassment,” said Michael Weisberg, director of LSNYC’s Brooklyn Housing Law Unit. “It’s more common for landlords to neglect, rather than destroy, their buildings if they want to force tenants out.”

The goal is to make tenants’ lives so unpleas-ant that they abandon their rent-stabilized apartments. Owners can then claim vacancy and improvement-related rent increases to

deregulate the apartment. Mr. Israel might well have succeeded in doing just that at 98 Linden Street had not LSNYC intervened.

When LSNYC took on the case, the story became a media sensation. The New York Times created a special video documenting the damage. The local television stations joined in, and Joel Israel and his brother Aaron were exposed as slumlords who had taken such actions against tenants all over Brooklyn.

Our attorneys eventually got our clients’ homes repaired. And the attention drawn by the case led to the formation of a state-wide Tenant Protection Unit and a tenant Anti-Harassment Task Force. Perhaps most satisfying, the Israel brothers were formally indicted in 2015 on charges of grand larceny, unlawful eviction, and scheming to defraud our clients.

In 2014, LSNYC helped nearly 12,000 ten-ants fight landlord harassment, rent over-charges and evictions, and secure repairs of unsafe and unsanitary living conditions.

The Fight for 98 Linden Street

Housing

The attention drawn by the case led to the formation of a statewide Tenant Protection Unit and a tenant Anti-Harassment Task Force.

In 2014

LSNYC helped 12,000 tenants fight landlord harassment.

Just one view of the destruction in our clients’ homes at 98 Linden Street


Ms. Bratnick, who has lived at 2160 for 38 years, and her attorney Natasia de Silva of LSNYC’s Bronx Housing Unit, believe that Goldfarb Properties hopes to force long-time tenants to leave their apartments so rents can be increased.

LSNYC Helps Tenants File Claims Against Derelict LandlordIn 2014 LSNYC and The Legal Aid Society were chosen to represent tenants who might have claims against their landlord—the Pinnacle Group—as part of a court-approved settlement of a class action lawsuit challenging the land-lord’s harassment of residents living in rent-regulated apartments.

Extensive outreach was conducted so that tenants could learn about our services and decide if they wanted to file claims against Pinnacle. LSNYC advocates educated tenants and prepared claims based on dangerous condi-tions such as cascading water leaks, mold, and even fires caused by landlord negligence. Pinnacle also overcharged tenants and harassed tenants with meritless eviction cases.

So far, more than one thousand tenants have filed claims, and LSNYC will represent more than 500 of those claimants. “Pinnacle has lawyers repre-senting them, and all the tenants should have legal representation to ensure fairness,” explained Manhattan Housing Unit Deputy Director Rosalind Black.

“The help that I received from LSNYC to develop and file my claim was a blessing. Staff came out to my building to help my neighbors too,” said Sandra Brooks, a Pinnacle tenant in the Bronx. “I ended up with a very fair settle-ment that would not have happened without legal help.”

In Effort to Force Tenants Out, Bronx Landlord ‘Locks’ Disabled Residents InFor ten weeks in 2014, Judith Bratnick, a resident of 2160 Matthews Avenue in the Bronx, was confined to her seventh floor apartment while the elevators in her building were being replaced.

Her landlord—Goldfarb Properties—had given the tenants only 19 days’ notice before shutting down the elevators to replace them. The landlord refused to provide reasonable accommodations to Ms. Bratnick and other tenants who were unable to use the stairs.

“I was told that if I left my apartment, I could not come back,” said Ms. Bratnick, who has myotonic muscular dystrophy.

LSNYC, along with Jenner & Block and New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, sued Goldfarb and the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) in federal court on behalf of Ms. Bratnick and 10 other elderly and disabled tenants for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.

Nine of the plaintiffs were trapped in their apartments while their elevators were being replaced. Two others—one a retired firefighter with dementia and the other with severe respiratory problems—were given accommodations before the elevator was replaced as a result of the lawsuit. The plaintiffs are seeking to force the DOB to develop protocols to address these kinds of problems in the future.

Ms. Bratnick, who has lived at 2160 for 38 years, and her attorney Natasia de Silva of LSNYC’s Bronx Housing Unit, believe that Goldfarb Properties hopes to force long-time tenants to leave their apartments so rents can be increased. According to de Silva, the new owner has tried to evict many tenants and began

“intrusive” construction projects that greatly interfered with the tenants’ lives.

“It appears the department does not have a protocol for protecting mobility impaired tenants’ rights of access during protracted elevator repairs. If it does have such a protocol, it was not followed in these buildings.” The lawsuit seeks to remedy that situation.

LSNYC reached out to Pinnacle tenants in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole,

and French


As a result of amendments to fed-eral regulations in 2014, LSNYC has been able to begin taking asylum cas-es involving crime or abuse that took place outside of the United States.

Most of those LSNYC is helping arrived in the U.S. from Central America during the summer of 2014.

“Many of the women and children who arrived here were survivors of violence at the hands of spouses, domestic partners, and gangs,” said Director of Immigration and Special Programs Audrey Carr. “We had to get up to speed on the law very quickly, so that we could be in a position to represent these women and children.”

To take on these new and complicat-ed cases, LSNYC’s immigration law practice of 16 lawyers and paralegals also needed to grow. Fortunately, LSNYC was chosen to host two immigration law fellows as part of a new program, the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC), started by Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Emily Puhl, a graduate of University of California – Berkeley School of Law, and Tanika Vigil, a graduate of Harvard Law School, began their two-year fellowship at LSNYC in Septem-ber. As students, both had significant legal experience through law school clinics and the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, and both received intensive training before beginning their LSNYC work.

The fellows split their time between Staten Island and Queens, where the need for additional help is the greatest, and both have taken on asylum cases:

• One client is a Honduran woman who suffered violence at the hands of the father of her two young children. She moved several times to escape him, but he always found her and repeatedly threatened to kill her. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

• LSNYC is helping another Honduran woman and her 17-year-old son. The mother is a victim of domestic violence. LSNYC is pursuing asylum for the mother and lawful status for her son, who was abandoned by his father at the age of three.

LSNYC Expands to Take on Asylum Cases

Throughout the year, LSNYC’s immi-gration team has worked to educate immigrants in New York City about the importance of having competent legal representation.

“Some non-immigration lawyers think it’s a matter of submitting forms,” Ms. Carr said. “But there are a lot of nuances. Unless they know the law, people can go for a citizenship interview and end up in front of a deportation judge.”

Ms. Carr cited the case of an African immigrant LSNYC helped in 2014. The man was on the path to citizen-ship, but left the country for more than six months to visit his brother in Africa who had lost his eyesight.

“He could have been denied citizen-ship because he had been out of the country for longer than six months,” Ms. Carr explained. “But we were able to show that he had no intention of abandoning his U.S. residency. It was simply a case of helping a very ill brother.”

Immigration

Immigrant Justice Corps Fellows Emily

Puhl and Tanika Vigil


Workers’ Suit to Hold Developer Accountable AdvancesA group of low-income workers inched closer to justice in 2014, when a federal judge said their lawsuit against the developer of Atlan-tic Yards in Brooklyn and related organizations should move forward. LSNYC and Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady filed the suit on behalf of workers who were promised training and union membership so they could help build the project.

The Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program (PATP), set up to deliver jobs and training, turned out to be a sham. The training program consisted of reading handouts and working for two weeks on construction of a house in Staten Island. There was limited or no actual training, and no compensa-tion for the work that was done. After graduation, the workers were not given jobs or union memberships.

In the latest court victory, Judge John Gleeson denied the defendants’ re-quest for summary judgment, holding that a rational jury could find that the defendants were joint employers, and that “the PATP program, and the goodwill [it was] created to generate, [was] an integral component of the success of the Atlantic Yards project, which at the time was facing strong opposition from some segments of the surrounding communities.”

While LSNYC is fighting for the workers, it is also fighting for a prin-ciple that applies throughout New York City: when developers receive government subsidies in exchange for community benefits they should deliver on their promises.

“It is important to stand with these workers,” said Sarah Dranoff, Director of the Workers’ Rights and Benefits Unit at LSNYC’s Brooklyn Program.

“The extent of the government subsi-dies for this particular project, and the gap between what was promised in terms of jobs, affordable housing, and community amenities and what has been delivered compels us to hold the developer accountable.”

Settlement Opens Economic Door for Mentally Disabled VetsUntil May 2014, New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) routinely denied vendor licenses for disabled veterans with mental disabilities resulting from their service.

The DCA based its policy on New York state law, which defines eligible recipients of these licenses as “honorably discharged members of the armed forces of the United States who are physically disabled as a result of [their service].” However, this policy was illegal, given that New York State courts have repeatedly interpreted statutes referring to

“physical disabilities” to also include mental disabilities. The DCA’s narrow view meant that scores of veterans with mental disabilities were excluded from an economic opportunity earned in the line of duty.

To change the policy, Legal Services NYC’s Veterans Justice Project, in collaboration with the law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Kamal Nasser, an honorably discharged veteran with a service-related mental disability. Mr. Nasser sought the vendors’ license to better support his wife and four children.

DCA settled the case by granting Mr. Nasser the license and agreeing that others with similar records of service and mental disabilities would be eligible for the special license.

“The statute at issue in this case was written during a time when many mental health issues were not commonly recognized. This settlement brings the statute into the 21st century,” said Supervising Attorney Peter Kempner of LSNYC’s Brooklyn Program. “Veterans who suffer from the hidden scars of war will no longer be treated as any less deserving when it comes to pursuing their entrepreneurial spirit in New York City.”

LSNYC staff at the August 20th Harlem Veterans Resource Fair organized by

State Senator Bill Perkins

“ The statute at issue in this case was written during a time when many mental health issues were not commonly recognized. This settlement brings the statute into the 21st century,” said Supervising Attorney Peter Kempner of LSNYC’s Brooklyn Program.

Economic Rights


Over the past year, Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) and large law firms and corporations have partnered to tackle an area of critical need for low-income New Yorkers: the deplor-able housing conditions faced by so many. Housing repair cases—known colloquially as “HPs”—are now being regularly brought on behalf of ten-ants in housing court by LSNYC and pro bono counsel. In less than a year, more than 50 housing repair cases have already been placed with pro bono counsel.

The problem of housing disrepair in New York City is severe. Hundreds of thousands of affordable units are falling apart: exposed to wind and water; with collapsing ceilings and floors; without heat, hot water, or functioning appliances; infested by mold and vermin; or with danger-ously defective wiring. In many gentrifying neighborhoods, landlords

are purposefully neglecting—or even intentionally damaging—rent stabi-lized units.

In June of 2014, LSNYC launched an initiative to recruit and train pro bono attorneys at large law firms and corporations to take on housing repair matters. In less than a year, we have enlisted the support of more than 10 law firms and one corpora-tion. These include Skadden Arps, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Hogan Lovells, Gibson Dunn, Covington & Burling, and King & Spalding. Also taking on housing repair cases are Perkins Coie, Sullivan & Cromwell, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, and American Express.

Pro bono advocates are already achieving meaningful results. In one case, John Dunn, an attorney from Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP, represented Ms. T in the Bronx who—along with her daughter—was forced to use a bucket because she had no functioning sink. Mr. Dunn

quickly obtained relief for his client, who had a range of repair needs resolved in her apartment—including getting a functional sink. “Helping Ms. T on this case was one of the most meaningful experiences of my legal career,” Mr. Dunn said. “I saw the difference that my work made very quickly. This tenant had been complaining for months before she found counsel, but it wasn’t until she had an attorney on the case that the landlords acted.”

The impact of this initiative is also being felt by LSNYC staff. “Pro bono support has made a tremendous difference for our clients who need repairs,” said Cathy Bowman, Direc-tor of LSNYC’s LGBT/HIV Unit in Brooklyn. “Sadly, LSNYC does not have the resources to take on most of these cases. Now, instead of turning away clients in need, we are able to connect them to zealous pro bono advocates who compel landlords to make their homes livable again.”

Legal Services NYC & Large Law Firms Partner to Prosecute Building Code Violations on Behalf of Low-Income Tenants

Pro Bono


Pro Bono Efforts Double in 2014The addition of a full-time Director of Pro Bono Service has led to a doubling of hours donated to help clients across all LSNYC practice areas.

“In 2014, attorneys contributed more than 30,000 hours,” said Pro Bono Service Director Adam Heintz.

“LSNYC helped more than 70,000 low-income New Yorkers. There is no way we could have reached anywhere near that number without the support of our pro bono partners.”

At an event in October, LSNYC thanked 600 pro bono volunteers, recognized the special contributions of 30 pro bono attorneys, and presented the Pro Bono Champion Award to Winston & Strawn Partner John Aerni, who has worked with LSNYC for 25 years.

“The rewards of doing pro bono work really come from seeing the effect it has on a client’s life,” Mr. Aerni said. “We help clients obtain the very basics of life. What could be more rewarding than that? To see someone actually believe that the system can work, that the law actually makes a difference, and even the poor, even they who had no power, have equal access to the law and equal access to justice.”

Pro bono assistance was especially important to two LSNYC efforts described in these pages: helping veterans resolve student debt issues and helping tenants get repairs necessary to make their apartments habitable.

Legal Services NYC and Con Edison Partner to Help Low-Income Veterans with Student DebtLegal Services NYC (LSNYC) and Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) have created an innovative pro bono Veterans Student Debt Initiative. The initiative pairs low-income New Yorkers who are unable to repay their student loans with volunteers at Con Edison. Advocates secure discharge of the debt, consolidate debt, and get clients into income-based repayment plans. Since launching in the Spring of 2014, the program has helped a number of veterans and enrolled two dozen volunteers from Con Edison’s Law Department.

Low-income New Yorkers frequently obtain federal student loans to pay for programs that they believe will help them gain a decent education and secure a job. Many of these “schools” collapse before a student can obtain a degree, or fail to deliver on promised career placements. The education provided by sham schools has little lasting value, but the accrued student debt endures. Even those who attend legitimate institutions fall on hard times, and need help to address their student debt and respond to aggres-sive debt servicers. Veterans have been particular targets of predatory trade schools, because veterans can access supplemental education benefits.

With Con Edison’s resources, and LSNYC’s expertise and client base, we have filled a tremendous service

gap. LSNYC provides training, a manual, mentorship, and oversight on all cases. Pro Bono advocates at Con Edison work directly with clients and negotiate with the Department of Ed-ucation and student debt collectors to discharge debt or create manageable debt repayment plans.

Pro bono projects like this allow us to expand the reach and impact of our services. What is more, Con Edison and LSNYC have established a project model that LSNYC is replicating with other private partners to serve even more clients.

With Con Edison’s resources, and LSNYC’s expertise and client base, we have filled a tremendous service gap. Legal Services NYC provides training, a manual, mentorship, and oversight on all cases.

LSNYC Executive Director Raun Rasmussen with Rossalyn Quaye and Shira Rosenblatt of Consolidated Edison Company of New York


Pro Bono Partners

American Express

Arnold & Porter LLP

Brown Rudnick LLP

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

DLA Piper LLP (US)

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Greenfield Stein & Senior, LLP

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Jenner & Block LLP

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

King & Spalding LLP

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Perkins Coie LLP

Proskauer Rose LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

White & Case LLP

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

LSNYC 2014 Pro Bono Leaders

Anderson Kill P.C.

Baker & Hostetler LLP

Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP

Cooley LLP

Covington & Burling LLP

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Duval & Stachenfeld LLP

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Klestadt & Winters, LLP

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

McDermott Will & Emery

Messner Reeves LLP

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Phillips Lytle LLP

Relman, Dane & Colfax PLLC

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Sidley Austin LLP

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

Thompson & Knight LLP

Winston & Strawn LLP

Yerman & Associates, LLC

Our Pro Bono ColleaguesLSNYC's Pro Bono Leadership Award is bestowed on the organization's top 25 pro bono partners over the past year. Each of these leaders provided significant amounts of high-quality legal services to LSNYC and our clients, free of charge. That pro bono support allowed LSNYC to leverage its limited resources, and resulted in tangible, meaningful relief for our clients, including food, shelter, safety, and subsistence income. We are very grateful to these leaders for all of their hard work, and so proud of what we have achieved together on behalf of the neediest New Yorkers.


Financial Report 2014

Statement of Financial PositionYear Ended December 31, 2014

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents 9,279,493

Contracts and grants receivables 9,496,370

Other assets 291,357

Escrow accounts 780,094

Property, equipment, and law libraries 3,218,306

Security Deposits 424,547

Total assets $23,490,167

Liabilities and Net Assets

Accounts payable and accrued expenses 1,813,299

Contract advances 1,669,823

Accrued vacation 2,304,056

Escrow accounts 780,094

Notes payable 255,922

Other liabilities 2,300,368

Total liabilities $9,123,562

Net Assets

Unrestricted:

Board designated 2,698,639

Undesignated 4,685,609

Temporarily restricted 6,982,357

Total net assets 14,366,605

Total Liabilities and net assets $23,490,167

Statement of ActivitiesYear Ended December 31, 2014

Operating Support and Revenue

Public support

Government grants and contracts 33,343,112

Private grants and contributions 4,828,412

Fundraising events 566,470

Donated services 12,799,510

Total public support $51,537,504

Other revenues

Attorney fee 386,211

Other 850,974

Total other revenue 1,237,185

Total operating revenue and support $52,774,689

Operating Expenses

Program services

Housing 23,287,167

Income maintenance 7,645,683

Family 5,462,742

Other program services 9,085,779

Total program services $45,481,371

Supporting services

Management and general 8,001,206

Fundraising 479,407

Total supporting services 8,480,613

Total operating expenses $53,961,984

Change in net assets (1,187,295)

Other changes in net assets:

LSC recoupment (1,271,465)

Net assets at beginning of year 16,825,365

Net assets at end of year $14,366,605


Government and Private Contracts

Other Revenues

Legal Services Corporation

Private Grants and Contributions

Interest on Lawyers Account

Fundraising Events

$18,861,493

$14,036,694

$11,071,573

$4,828,410

$3,410,050

$566,470

36%

27%

21%

9%

6%

1%

Other Expenses

Lawyers

Fringe Benefits

Non-Lawyers

Space

Consultants, Contract Services and Payments to Subcontractors

$16,305,658

$14,868,551

$9,598,866

$8,333,478

$2,946,813

$1,908,617

30%

28%

18%

15%

5%

4%

2014 Revenues $52,774,689Includes Donated Services of $12,799,510

2014 Expenses $53,961,984Includes Donated Services of $12,799,510

Financial Report (Cont.)


$100,000+

Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation, Inc.

Center for NYC Neighborhoods

Columbia University

The New York Bar Foundation

The New York Community Trust

Robin Hood

Single Stop USA

$50,000–$99,999

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Immigrant Justice Corps

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

Van Ameringen Foundation, Inc.

$25,000–$49,999

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany

Joseph S. Genova & Diane Genova

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Pfizer Inc.

The Sherman Foundation

Silverman Foundation

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Tides Foundation

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Michael D. Young & Debra L. Raskin

$10,000–$24,999

Baker & Hostetler LLP

Capital One Services, LLC

Citi Community Development

Cooley LLP

Mark G. Cunha

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

The Dorothea L. Leonhardt Foundation, Inc.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Goodwin Procter LLP

Steven L. Holley

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Jarvie Foundation

Jenner & Block LLP

John S. Kiernan

Susan J. Kohlmann

Latham & Watkins LLP

Linton Mann III

Joseph P. Moodhe

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank

Jennifer Kennedy Park & Gregory Park

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

The Raine Group, LLC

William T. Russell, Jr.

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP

Skadden Fellowship Foundation

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Thompson & Knight Foundation

Jeffrey S. Trachtman

USI Insurance Services, LLC

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch LLP

$5,000–$9,999

AARP Foundation

Banco Popular

Brown Rudnick LLP

Donna Daniels

DLA Piper LLP (US)

Equal Justice America

Joyce H. Flint

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US, LLP

Robert D. Goodman

Vilia B. Hayes

Klestadt & Winters, LLP

McGladrey, LLP

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C.

The Morrison & Foerster Foundation

Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

Our Supporters

Legal Services NYC is pleased to acknowledge the generous contributions of the following foundations, law firms, corporations, and individuals. Their support helps us deliver critically needed legal services to low-income New Yorkers. Thank you!


Our Supporters (Cont.)

Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP

The Partnership to Preserve Affordable Housing

Thomas Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation

Liza M. Velazquez & Timothy A. Milford

Kent A. Yalowitz

$1,000–$4,999

A1 Works in Progress Associates

Elizabeth Alston

American General Life Insurance Company

The Angelson Family Foundation

BahnMutler LLP

Susan S. & Benjamin Baxt

Best Choice Staffing

James Brian Boyle

Lisa Ann Brabant

Timothy Bradley & Eliot Nolen

Matthew Brinckerhoff

Susan J. Bryant

Noreen & Kenneth A. Buckfire

Vincent T. Chang

Jennifer Ching & Jeffrey T. Lee

Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, PA

Katrina Edge

Robin R. & Steven M. Edwards

Peggy Farber

Feinberg Rozen, LLP

Fern J. Finkel, Attorney at Law

Robert C. & Laura W. Fleder

Harold & Zelda Foster

Lynn M. Gastellum

Jeffrey A. Johnston & Sheila T. McGinn

The Joseph Ciner Foundation, Inc.

Kent Karlsson

Katten Muchin Roseman LLP

Kaye Scholer LLP

David S. Klafter

Rachel Foster Kodsi

Alan W. Kornberg

Kathleen & Richard Levin

LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Helen Mangano

Thomas Moers & Jerri Sines Mayer

Sheila T. McGinn, Attorney at Law

Matthew Melville

Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello P.C.

Malvina Nathanson, Attorney at Law

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Allegra R. Nethery

Joseph O’Doherty

Ronnie W. & David Parker

Sharon M. & Irving H. Picard

Proskauer Rose LLP

Raun J. Rasmussen

Mark A. Robertson

Sandy Santana

Ann Schaetzel & Richard B. Barber

Fern Schair & Alexander D. Forger

Richard & Katherine Schumacher

Amy R. & Howard Seife

Karen Patton & Samuel W. Seymour

Dr. Ellen L. Sporn

Elmer D. Sprague

Venable LLP

Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, P.C.

Winston & Strawn Foundation

Dana M. Zeller

Andrea Zigman

$500–$999

Marc Adelman

Bruce Angiolillo

Michael E. Avidon

Paris R. Baldacci

Fredericka P. Bashir

Bosshard Parke Ltd.

Michael L. Cook

Cullen and Dykman LLP

Anthony E. Davis & Pamela Jarvis

Anita K. Dinerstein

Eden II School for Autistic Children, Inc.

Joel Forman & Theodora Galacatos

Robert Frabasile

Maria Garcia

Goldin Associates, LLC

Daniel Greenberg & Karen Nelson

Nimet Habachy

Hartman, Ule, Rose & Ratner, LLP

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Miriam Ingber

Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz

Laura J. & Henry J. Kennedy

Peggy Kuo

John J. Lavelle

Law Offices of Robert E. Brown, P.C.

Legal Horizons Foundation, Inc.

Xiaoyu Liu

Gilda M. & Marcos M. Morales

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Andrew J. Multer

Myron M. Studner Foundation

Fraidy Nachman

Diane Nardi

Debra S. Noll

Outten & Golden LLP

John M. Payne

Jonathan D. Pressment


Kathleen Roberts

Benjamin E. Rosenberg & Karen B. Shaer

Jessica & Tom Rothman

Samuel J. Rubin

Susan B. & Bradley I. Ruskin

Jeanne & Joseph Samet

Shrilaxmi S. Satyanarayana

John Sawyers

Mona Schnitzler & Jonathan H. Hurwitz

Eleanor W. Shakin

Vivian B. & Michael L. Shelanski

Betty E. Staton

Jane R. Stern

Joe Sultan & Sandy Chilewich

Adam Synnott

Willian J. Tennis

Dudley M. Thompson

Eric Tirschwell

United Way of New York City

Winston & Strawn LLP

Cari Wint

$100–$499

Susanne & Mark A. Addessi

Dorothea & Peter B. Antonio

Ned H. Bassen

Andrew Baum

Dagan R. Bayliss

Jeanne & Robert L. Becker

Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, LLP

Steven M. & Gloria Bernstein

Leslie Bethke

Paul S. Bird & Amy O'Brien Parsons Bird

Vicki A. & Joel L. Blumenfeld

Adam P. Blumenkrantz

Walter F. Bottger

Jessica Braginsky

Melvin A. & Linda G. Brosterman

Aaron & Renee Cahn

Margaret Cammer

Lorenzo A. Canizares

Linda Cantoni

Gale Cantor

Christine J. & Carmen J. Cognetta, Jr.

Francine Pickett Cohen

Paul A. Cohen

Ronald L. Cohen

Stephen G. & Dr. Elaine F. Crane

Robert F. Cusumano

Ondine Darcyl

Carolina Davila

Jane & Leo J. Delgado

Minerva Delgado

Madeleine R. Delrow

Diane and Harry Greenberg Philanthropic Fund

Matthew Diller & Katherine Kennedy

Marc M. Dittenhoefer

Erin Dodd

Betty W. Ellerin

Keren O. & Joshua N. Englard

Russell Engler & Tracy Miller

Joyce & Klaus Eppler

Nicole M. & George A. Esposito, Jr.

James Esseks & Rob Ornstein

John P. Falk

Jacqueline Fiore & Rachael Rinaldo

Sarah A.W. Fitts

Edwin Forman

Mary Beth Forshaw

Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Dental P.C.

Henry A. Freedman

Andrew L. Frey

Manuel Frey

Jonathan Fried

Carol Friedman

Jennifer Friedman

James Gadsden

William Garcia

Gretchen P. Garnecho

Theodore Geiger

Donna D. & Lawrence V. Gelber

Ellen F. Gesmer

Giovanucci Property Management Corp.

Janet A. Gochman

Paul A. Goldblum

David Goren

Robert L. Haig

Julie Hall

Halperin Battaglia Benzija, LLP

Mary Haviland

HELP USA

Mala A. Herman

Herrick, Feinstein LLP

Dara H. & David M. Hillman

Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoshue & Joseph

Andrea G. Hirsch

Taylor Hoffman

Michael Holt

Deborah G. Howard

Kurt Hunciker

Elizabeth M. Imholz

Inform Business, Inc.

Integrity Senior Services

Robert A. Jaffe & Deborah A. De Masi

Jeanette D. Johnson

Naomi J. Johnson

Janice S. Johnston

Serge Joseph & Alva R. Sam

Wilhelm H. Joseph

Benjamin M. Joslin


Emily A. Kaller & John F. Galindo

Marion S. Kaplan

Ellen M. & Martin Katz

KCM Plumbing & Heating Corp.

Paul E. Kerson

Amalia D. Kessler

Andrea Krantz & Harvey M. Sawikin

Todd A. Krichmar & Naomi J. Schrag

Jay L. Kriegel

Dr. Suky K. Kwak

Valyrie K. Laedlein

Robert E. Lamb

Jeffrey Laner

Kaming Lau

Eric Laufgraben

Law Offices of Charles C. Destefano

Law Offices of Vaccaro & White, LLP

Law Offices of Mark B. Rubin, P.C.

Andrew Lehrer

Richard Levy, Jr. & Carol Miller

Ryan Lewendon

Yvonne Lewis

Thomas E. Lim

Charles Liu

John D. Lobrano

Maura C. & Lukenda M. Lockhart

Luthmann Law Firm, PLLC

Roger Juan Maldonado

Pamela A. Mann

John Z. Marangos

Doris L. Master

Robert P. Master

Daniel Matza-Brown

James S. Maxwell

David W. Mayo & Carol A. Quinn

Maureen W. McCarthy

Rosemarie R. McCloy

Michael E. McMahon

Tanya Messado

Joan & John Meyler

Eliza M. Migdal

Nicholas Moccia

Candace L. Moss

Eugene B. Nathanson

Craig A. Nelson

The New York Community Trust

New York State Court Officers Association

Neighborhood Housing Services of Staten Island

Sara C. Norris

Dennis O’Fallon

Silda Palerm

Barbara I. & Joseph E. Panepinto

Ilene Pappert

Timothy J. Pastore

Christie Peale

Andrea M. Pi-Sunyer

Benjamin Posel

Norlyn Poto

Project Hospitality, Inc.

Debra M. & Nick Puhl

David A. H. Rapaport

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

The Richard R. Howe Foundation

Carl Riehl

Marc A. Rivlin

Florence W. Roisman

Christopher S. Rooney

Lisa Ross

Leonard Rubin

Victor Rubino

Kathryn Sabbeth

Bruce D. Saber

Franklin Sachs

Nadya Salcedo

Leslie Salzman

Barbara Samuels

Diana Sanabria

Lawrence Sapadin

Adriane I. & Jonathan A. Schorr

Schwartz Lichtenberg LLP

Score, Chapter 476

Seamen's Society for Children and Families

Karen E. & Mark E. Segall

Diana S. Sen

Bradley Siciliano

Jill Siegel

Moses Silverman

Nina Fay Simon & Robert E. Rosenthal

Philip Smith

Diane Sorowitz & Loretta Choquet

Staten Island Board of Realtors, Inc.

Staten Island Trial Lawyers Association, Inc.

Deborah Stein & Michele Lubrano

Shelah Stein

Fred M. & Bonnie B. Stone

Serena Stonick

Joyce Sun

Ronald J. Tabak

Winnie Taylor

Rose & Jacob L. Todres

Diane Tukman

Victory State Bank

Laura P. & Hans H. Vogel

Diane Wade

David L. Wagner

Jack Waldman

Lang Wang

Gene L. Ward

Ray G. Warner

Stephen A. Weisbrod

Our Supporters (Cont.)


Jeffrey J. Weisenfeld, Attorney at Law

Helen E. White

John Whitlow

Elliot Wiener

Meredith J. Williams

Gary J. Yen

Josh Zinner

All Other Gifts

Miriam & Robert Abramovitz

Joseph L. Bacenet

Virginia Bach

Maria Baldova

Martha B. Bernard

Stephani Bouvet

Kathleen D. & Allen D. Boyer

Jacquelyn R. Bullock, Attorney at Law

Odette N. Buschmann

Anthony Catalano & Peter Delizzo

Fitzroy A. Christian

Suree T. & John S. Christine

Robert A. Cini & Marianna Squillace

Carmen B. Ciparik

Cathleen Clements

Jean & Joseph Como

Thomas D. Cooke

Corash & Hollender, P.C.

Sheila K. & Edward V. Corrigan

Mary Jo Cullinan

Jonathan A. Damon

Mark Diamond

Gregory K. Diamonds

Jerry A. Ditata

Paul A. Duffy

Marco A. Eguez

Maria Colonna Emanuel

Anne M. & Sidney L. Emerman

Michele Evans-Arrindell

F. Y. Eye

Courtney Gallagher

Karen H. Gates

Ann-Marie & Peter G. Geis

Gladstein, Reif & Meginniss, LLP

Laura V. Gold

Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin LLP

Goodman, Caryl I. & Austin J. Wertheimer

Paul Gottlieb

Michael Hernandez

Speare Hodges

Victoria Horowitz

Ejaz U. Hyder

Dr. Linda Gail Ingber

Helene D. Irvine

Kate Iscol & Valerie Hepner

Israel Discount Bank of New York

Nadine Johnson

Maureen A. & John G. Kelly, Jr.

Maryanne C. & Timothy Koller

Elaine T. & Henrik Krogius

Alton J. Landsman

Ronald S. Languedoc

The Law Firm of Hall & Hall, LLP

Law Offices of Peter J. Weinman

Jean Lerman

Jane Lincoln

Charlene Lipford-Simeus

Rose Ann Magaldi & Lawerence Pesesky

Stephen Magid

Lisa Master

Eva & William F. Mastro

Candace McLaren

Laura Messiana

Jeanne C. Miller

Mary E. Milton & James McRae

Judith F. Moresco Waggoner

Robert Myers

Jeanne Nelson

Eve Lynn Newman

Bernardo Pace

Diego A. Parra

Hemalee J. Patel

Richard Peterson

Appolo Pitton

Dr. Daniel W. Prezant

Susan Quirk

Kay Reese

The Richmond Group

Ridge Abstract Corp.

Yolanda L. Rudlich

Minnie R. Ruffin

Gary B. Samilow

Savino for New York

Karen Schoenberg

Sharon Schwartz

Gider J. Serna

Lena Siddiqi

Norman Siegel

Lori S. Singer

Kirsten Soberanis

State Employees Federated Appeal

Eve Stotland

Janet Waterston

Genia Wright

Roxie Young

Susan G. Zuckerman


Jonathan B. Behrins The Behrins Law Firm, P.L.L.C.

Susan J. Bryant CUNY School of Law

Sonja Buckner

Hazel Cabbler

Fitzroy Christian

Katrina Edge Pfizer Inc.

David Eskin Eskin & Eskin, P.C.

Fern Finkel Private Practice

Benjamin S. Fischer Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC

Joseph S. GenovaMilbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

Walkiria Gonzales Creative Lifestyles

Arthur W. Greig Private Practice

Vilia B. Hayes Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Steven L. Holley Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Victoria L. Horowitz

Robinson IglesiasThe Law Office of Robinson Iglesias

Charlene Lipford

Ana Melendez

Mildred Miranda

Rosevelie Marquez Morales Harris Beach PLLC

Andrew J. MulterBahnMulter LLP

Jennifer Kennedy Park Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Diego A. Parra

Jonathan D. Pressment Haynes and Boone, LLP

Jeffrey S. Trachtman Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Liza M. Velazquez Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP

Kent A. Yalowitz Arnold & Porter LLP

Board of Directors

Michael D. Young, ChairJAMS

Susan J. Kohlmann, Vice Chair Jenner & Block LLP

Donna R. Daniels, Treasurer

William T. Russell, Jr., Secretary Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Emeritus Members

Mark G. CunhaSimpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

John S. Kiernan Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Fern Schair Feerick Social Justice Center Fordham School of Law

H. Richard Schumacher Cahill Gordon & Reindel (retired)

Project Board Chairs (Ex-officio Board Members)

Robert D. Goodman Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Yun G. Lee American International Group Inc.

Joseph P. MoodheDebevoise & Plimpton LLP

Celeste Morris MorrisAllsop Public Affairs

Malvina Nathanson Private Practice

Legal Services NYC

Legal Services NYC fi ghts poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low income New Yorkers. For almost 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustice and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of nearly 350 people in neighborhood-based offi ces and outreach sites across all fi ve boroughs helps more than 80,000 New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community based organizations, elected offi cials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our eff ectiveness. Our work fi ghts discrimination and helps to achieve equal opportunity and justice for all New Yorkers.

We rely on a combination of public and private funds to support our innovative practice areas and projects, which both provide essential services for clients and serve as models for legal services programs across the country.

Stand With Us As A Voice ForJustice And A Force For Change

Manhatt anDowntown40 Worth StreetSuite 606New York, NY 10013(646) 442-3100

Harlem1 West 125th Street2nd FloorNew York, NY 10027(212) 348-7449

BrooklynRestoration Plaza1360 Fulton StreetSuite 301Brooklyn, NY 11216(718) 636-1155

Downtown105 Court Street3rd FloorBrooklyn, NY 11201(718) 237-5500

QueensMain Offi ce89-00 Sutphin Boulevard5th FloorJamaica, NY 11435(347) 592-2200

BronxMain Offi ce349 E 149th Street10th FloorBronx, NY 10451(718) 928-3700

Staten IslandMain Offi ce36 Richmond TerraceSuite 205 Staten Island, NY 10301 (718) 233-6480

Writer: Brian Kell

Legal Services NYC 40 Worth Street, Suite 606, New York, NY 10013

Documents

Fighting poverty and seeking justice for low-income …...for the program included online learning and went beyond tradi-tional litigation skills. The attorneys learned about structural