Uplifting Communities in Justice: NYLAG in 2023
NYLAG fought alongside me, through so many ups and downs. With attorneys who knew the ins and outs of the legal system at my side, I had the confidence to keep going. They refused to give up.
130,443
adults and children impacted by NYLAG’s services
$288 million
saved for NYLAG clients
380+
community sites served across New York City
Using the power of the law, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) fights for economic, racial, and social justice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. We know our clients are experts in their own lives and we center their voices to help them achieve justice, safety, and stability.
Our team of over 350 advocates serve New Yorkers through comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. Everyone, regardless of race, income level, ability, or life circumstance, should have support during a legal crisis. We are here so they don’t have to fight alone.
Letter From Leadership
Our Year in Review
Our Programs
A Message From Our President and Board Chair
Dear supporter,
This year, I marked my first full year as NYLAG’s president and CEO. This milestone fills me with immense gratitude, both for our incredible team and for the support of people like you who share our commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.
This gratitude exists alongside a recognition of how extraordinarily challenging 2023 has been for New Yorkers. In our city, the wealthiest in the world, asylum-seekers were forced to sleep on our streets, homelessness rose to rates not seen in almost 100 years, families were wrongfully denied benefits, and tenants faced skyrocketing rents and evictions. For countless people in need of the most essential forms of dignity and support, this year uncovered failings within the institutions and systems entrusted with their protection. NYLAG is here to hold these systems accountable.
We have never drawn back during difficult times. This year, NYLAG’s amazing team of over 350 advocates stepped up every day to ensure our neighbors have legal advocates by their side during these crises, just as we have for over three decades.
We partner with New Yorkers during some of the most stressful times of their lives with legal expertise, but we know our clients are the experts in their own lives. Their voices are at the center of all the work we do, the policies we advocate for, and the city we are working to build.
While we have seen heartbreak and injustice this year, I am hopeful because I know our work is in the hands of a team of dedicated, expert advocates, who never back down for their clients. I am also inspired by your commitment and the generosity of all of NYLAG’s funders, partners, and friends. Thank you for standing with us so that all New Yorkers can achieve justice.
Lisa Rivera
President and CEO
Dear friends of NYLAG,
Overlapping humanitarian crises within the immigration system, shelter, and housing, and rising costs of living left thousands of our neighbors on the brink in 2023.
With these latest injustices, NYLAG mobilized, innovated, and fought like we have during numerous emergencies over the last 30 years to:
- ensure recent migrants to NYC received the essential legal support they needed to work, build foundations, and live safely in NYC;
- demand dignified, safe shelter for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, including asylum-seekers;
- defend thousands of New Yorkers against eviction and the threat of homelessness;
- and secure life-saving benefits for people experiencing poverty so they can buy food and pay rent.
We do not do this work alone. Our partners, supporters, and people like you are the reason we can impact the lives of 129,000 adults and children. Without you, NYLAG simply could not have this kind of impact. With a gift to NYLAG, you can help to ensure that even more of our fellow New Yorkers have life-changing legal assistance when they cannot afford an attorney.
Thank you.
Joe Polizzotto
Chair, Board of Directors
Our Year in Review
Empowering Immigrants and their Families
Immigrants faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. We stayed by their sides.
Since 1990, NYLAG has provided legal services to immigrant New Yorkers. But last year was different. After asylum seekers from Central and South America were used as political props and bussed to our city in record numbers, we mobilized to fill in the gaps of a broken immigration system.
27,118
immigrants served, from 196 different countries. Almost 32% were children.
"The current ‘crisis’ stems from the intersection of various federal policies which have closed our borders to most asylum seekers for the last three years while failing to put in place strategies or resources to safely, effectively, and humanely anticipate the influx of vulnerable migrants who cannot be subjected to rapid expulsion."
WE REFUSED TO LET THE SHELTER RIGHTS OF NEW YORKERS BE CHIPPED AWAY
Anyone without a place to sleep in New York City – including immigrants seeking safety and prosperous futures – have a legal right to safe, dignified shelter. When migrants were blamed for shortcomings in the system and this right was eroded, we demanded policies that centered their humanity.
Advocating for Unhoused New Yorkers
WE WERE THERE FOR LGBTQ+ IMMIGRANTS IN NEED OF A SAFE HAVEN IN NYC
Among the thousands of asylum-seekers risking their lives to find safety in our country are countless LGBTQ+ people fleeing homophobia, transphobia, and violence targeting their identities.
With decades of experience providing immigration services tailored to the unique legal and cultural needs of LGBTQ+ immigrants, NYLAG responded immediately, providing a combination of culturally competent legal services, community outreach and education, professional trainings, and policy advocacy.
860
Last year, NYLAG worked with over 860 LGBTQ+ clients on a range of legal issues, ranging from name changes to estate planning.
Christian's Story
PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO HOUSING AMID SKYROCKETING RENT COSTS
With rising rents, exploitative landlords, and increased costs of living, more and more New Yorkers faced the devastating threat of eviction and foreclosures, especially communities of color, single-parent households, and people with disabilities.
Evictions and foreclosures destabilize families and children, break up communities, and often lead to long-term homelessness and economic hardship. NYLAG is a leading defender of tenants’ and housing rights in NYC, keeping thousands of people in their homes and helping to protect the futures of countless families.
10,374
NYLAG represented 10,374 people in the face of eviction, foreclosure, displacement, or homelessness, resulting in thousands staying in their homes.
"A budget is a reflection of values. The City needs to invest more, not less, in initiatives that uplift and invest in communities that need it most. Now is NOT the time to pull back"
PROMOTING DIGNITY, WELL-BEING, AND BRIGHT FUTURES FOR ALL
Navigating complex health systems
Medicare and Medicaid are a lifeline for people experiencing poverty, but navigating the system and paying out-of- pocket costs are hurdles that lead many to go without the care they desperately need. NYLAG won over $2.2M in ongoing Managed Long Term Care services for New Yorkers, ensuring older adults and people with disabilities can remain in their homes.
Securing public benefits and stability
Over 35,000 families faced hunger and hardship when NYC fell out of compliance with state and federal processing requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and cash assistance. NYLAG, along with Legal Aid Society and Dechert, LLP, secured a ruling to end delays to these life-saving benefits. NYLAG also secured $5.6 million in ongoing yearly public benefits for our neighbors.
Advocating for survivors’ safety and self determination
New Yorkers experiencing violence and abuse in their relationships need advocates who are sensitive to their experiences, their cultures, and the unique barriers and challenges they face in the legal system. NYLAG’s trauma-informed, diverse team supported over 2,300 survivors of intimate partner violence, guiding them through their legal options to secure lives free from violence.
Safeguarding children’s right to an education
The education rights of all children should be protected and valued, but for many NYC students with disabilities, they are often denied. NYLAG ensures that children with disabilities receive the educational support, services, and programs that they need to learn and are entitled to under the law.
Bringing legal services to a neighborhood near you
When we say we are here to serve New Yorkers, we mean it. Our innovative Mobile Legal Help Center van travels around the five boroughs and into 150+ communities that have been cut-off from legal services because of location, disability, isolation, and more.
Protecting workers and consumers
In addition to helping over 4,000 victims of deceptive lending and debt collection practices, NYLAG assisted NYC taxi drivers in recovering from predatory taxi medallion loans that too often led to devastating financial ruin. With crucial pro bono support from Paul, Weiss LLP, NYLAG saved medallion owners $260 million.
Helping Ukrainian refugees to rebuild their lives in NYC
With an escalating humanitarian emergency following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NYLAG harnessed our years of experience serving immigrants from the former Soviet Union, mobilizing our language capacity, deep immigration expertise, and community partnerships to serve Ukrainian nationals with urgent immigration needs.
Demanding Change from Unjust Systems
We bring lawsuits that change unjust systems, correct institutional failures, and protect the rights of thousands.
“Sam was a 10-year-old boy who was diagnosed with nonverbal autism and communication delays. Unable to communicate his needs, he would damage property and self-harm to try to express himself. NYLAG stepped in and secured a placement for Sam at a school that could provide the kind of instruction he needed to learn to communicate. After a few months at the school, Sam said, “I love you,” to his mother for the first time.”
TAKING THE TIME TO TRANSFORM LIVES
NYLAG engages skilled volunteers – retired and current attorneys, law graduates, students, and others – who broaden our reach and enable us to serve more New Yorkers in need of legal assistance.
2,300
pro bono attorneys and volunteers
91,000
hours donated
$53.5M
value of time donated
Our Programs
Advance Planning
Assisting individuals with end-of-life planning needs
Consumer Protection
Defending victims of abusive and deceptive lending and debt collection practices to ensure future financial stability
Domestic Violence Law
Empowering survivors of intimate partner violence to achieve safety and stability
Employment Law
Supporting workers earning a low-wage in asserting their workplace rights
Evelyn Frank Legal Resources
Safeguarding the right to affordable health and long-term care services for seniors with low incomes and people with disabilities
Financial Empowerment and Advocacy
Planning for financial stability
Foreclosure Prevention
Preserving affordable homeownership
Holocaust Compensation
Supporting and advocating for survivors of the Holocaust
Immigrant Protection
Keeping immigrants and immigrant communities strong
LegalHealth
Complementing health care with legal care
Legal Hand Project
Addressing problems before they escalate into legal proceedings
LGBTQ Law
Fighting for the rights of LGBTQ communities
Mediation
Helping families in conflict make informed decisions together with the help of a mediator
Mobile Legal Help Center
Bringing free legal services on wheels to your community
Pro Se Clinic
Providing free legal advice to litigants representing themselves in civil cases in SDNY
Public Benefits
Securing vital public benefits to help people meet their immediate needs
Special Education
Ensuring children with disabilities receive an education to which they are entitled and that meets their unique needs
Special Litigation
Seeking systemic reform for individuals through class actions and other impact litigation
Tenants' Rights
Defending tenants experiencing poverty and facing eviction, displacement, and homelessness
Veterans’ Rights
Helping veterans access vital benefits and services
Board of Directors
Bridget M. Healy
VICE CHAIR
Joseph Polizzotto
Chair
QuisLex
Jeffrey Herbert
SECRETARY
Apple Bank
Elkan Abramowitz
Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC
Ron Abramson
Liston Abramson
Joseph S. Allerhand
Allen & Overy LLP
Anirudh Bansal
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
Joseph Baumgarten
Proskauer Rose LLP
Matthew Biben
King & Spalding
James E. Brandt
Latham & Watkins LLP
Carolina Fornos
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Randall Jackson
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Boyd Johnson
Wilmer Hale
Kerri Ann Law
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Sharon Cohen Levin
Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP
Paul Levy
Scott D. Musoff
Skadden, LLP
Jessica Ortiz
EY
Michael Paskin
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
Lisa Rivera*
President & CEO, NYLAG
*non-voting member
Jill L. Rosenberg
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Kevin S. Schwartz
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
David I. Sultanik, CPA
Sultanik & Krumholz LLC
Michele Cohn Tocci
The David Berg Foundation
Richard Zabel
Elliott Management Corporation
Caroline Zalka
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Abby S. Milstein
CHAIR EMERITUS*
*Honorary non-voting member
Kathryn O. Greenberg
FOUNDER & HONORARY CHAIRMAN*
*Honorary non-voting member
Thank you for ensuring fair and equal access to justice.
We Thank the Law Firms and Corporate Partners Who Graciously Gave Their Time and Talent, and/or Supported NYLAG Financially
| A&O Shearman | AIG Risk Management, Inc | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP | Apple Bank | ArentFox Schiff LLP | Arnold & Porter | Ashurst LLP | Binder & Schwartz LLP |
| Blank Rome LLP | Bloomberg | BNY Mellon | Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP | Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP | Chapman Cutler LLP | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP | Cooley LLP |
| CornerStone Research | Covington & Burling LLP | Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP | Crowell & Moring LLP | Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP | Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP (Seattle) | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP | Dechert LLP |
| DLA Piper LLP (US) | Duane Morris LLP | EmblemHealth | Fenwick & West | Fieldpoint | Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP | Goldman, Sachs & Co | Goodwin Procter LLP |
| Guggenheim Partners | Hogan Lovells | HOKA | Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti | Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP | Kasirer | KCC LLC | King & Spalding LLP |
| Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP | Krieger Kim & Lewin LLP | Kurre Schneps LLP | Latham & Watkins LLP | Levine Lee | Liston Abramson LLP | Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP |
| Mastercard | Milbank LLP | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP | Morrison & Foerster Foundation | Morritt Hock | Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC | Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP | Paul Hastings LLP |
| Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP | Perkins Coie LLP | Petrillo Klein & Boxer LLP | Pfizer | Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP | Proskauer Rose LLP | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP |
| Ropes & Gray LLP | Seyfarth Shaw LLP | Sidley Austin LLP | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | SRD Legal | StoneTurn | Stout Risius Ross, LLC |
| Sullivan & Cromwell LLP | Susman Godfrey L.L.P. | Troutman Pepper LLP | Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz | Walden Macht & Haran LLP | Warshaw Burstein | Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP | White & Case LLP |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | WilmerHale | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati | Winston & Strawn LLP |
We Thank Our Foundation, Nonprofit, and Community Partners
| Altman Foundation | America Works of New York, Inc. | Anonymous | Arab-American Family Support Center | Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging | Booth Ferris Foundation | Butler Foundation | Cardinal McCloskey Community Services |
| Capital One | Center for New York City Neighborhoods | City Relief | Claims Conference | Community Service Society of New York | Cornell Law School | DAV Charitable Trust | David Berg Foundation |
| Day One | Dorot | Equal Justice America | Equal Justice Works | Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation | Fedcap | Footsteps | Goodwill Industries of New York & New Jersey |
| Henry & Lucy Moses Fund | Henry Street Settlement | Immigration Advice and Rights Centre | Immigrant Justice Corps | Isaac H. Tuttle Foundation | Jewish Community Center of Greater Coney Island | John Jay College | Justice Catalyst |
| Leon Levy Foundation | Long Island Community Foundation | Marcy Gringlas & Joel Greenberg, Seed the Dream Foundation | Nash Family Foundation | New York Community Trust | New York Immigration Coalition | Research Foundation of CUNY | Robin Hood |
| Safe Horizon | Sanctuary for Families | St. John’s Law School | UJA-Federation of New York | Venable Foundation | Weill Cornell Medicine (NYC Elder Abuse Center) | Y.C. Ho/Helen and Michael Chiang Foundation | Yale Law School |
We Thank Our Government Supporters
| FEDERAL | |
|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| IOLA |
|---|
| NYS IOLA Fund |
| NEW YORK CITY | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection/Office of Financial Empowerment | NYC Department of Veterans Services | NYC Health + Hospitals | NYC Human Resources Administration | NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice/ NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence | NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs | NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission |
| NEW YORK STATE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYS Attorney General | NYS Department of State | NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services | NYS Department of Health | NYS Office for New Americans | NYS Office for the Aging | NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance | NYS Office of Victim Services | Office of Court Administration |
We Thank Our Community Health Center and Hospital Partners
| Blythedale Children’s Hospital | CancerCare | Community Care of Brooklyn | Maimonides Medical Center |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | MJHS Institute for Innovation | Montefiore Medical Center | Mt. Sinai Medical Legal Partnership |
| NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital | NYU Langone Hospitals | One Brooklyn Health System | Westchester Medical Center |
Financials
Your dollar at work.
2023, Unaudited
Revenue
Category | Dollars |
|---|---|
Government | $35,823,295 |
Foundations | $4,411,026 |
Hospitals and Corporations | $4,246,177 |
Individuals | $392,869 |
Special Events | $1,511,180 |
Court Awarded & Earned Fees | $511,571 |
Miscellaneous | $72,287 |
Total Revenue Before In-Kind Legal Services | $46,968,405 |
In Kind | $39,301,848 |
Total Revenues | $86,270,253 |
Expenses
Total Expenses Before In-Kind Legal Services | In-Kind | Total Expenses |
|---|---|---|
$46,916,130 | $39,301,848 | $86,217,978 |
Together, we can advance justice, promote change, and improve the lives of children and adults experiencing poverty
My humble and sincere thanks for everything this wonderful organization and your entire team does to assist people like myself and others who are in need.
There are a variety of ways you can support NYLAG’s work:
ONLINE: Visit nylag.org/donate
BY CHECK: Checks may be made payable to New York Legal Assistance Group and sent to:
New York Legal Assistance Group
C/O Development Department
100 Pearl Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10004
MORE WAYS TO GIVE: To make a gift by wire transfer, a planned gift, a matching gift, or stock gift please email donate@nylag.org.
GET INVOLVED: To learn about pro bono, internship, and volunteer opportunities, visit nylag.org/pro-bono.
All stats are for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022-June 20, 2023) unless otherwise noted
