Karen Hambrick, a Supervising Attorney in the Harlem Community Law Office, has been named a recipient of a 2010 New York County Lawyers' Association Public Service Award. The award will be presented at the Association's Public Service Award Reception on September 28 at 6 p.m. at 14 Vesey Street.
Read more »
The Legal Aid Society and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services have begun settlement negotiations on the federal civil rights class action lawsuit filed late last year charging that children confined in OCFS residential centers are subjected to unconstitutional and excessive force by members of the staff and deprived of legally-required mental health services. The lawsuit was filed by The Legal Aid Society's Juvenile Rights Practice and the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.
Supreme Court Justice Sharon A.M. Aarons in the Bronx ruled that the constitutional rights of Jonathan Vasquez, a parolee, had been violated during an illegal search and granted his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The decision was a victory for Martin LaFalce, an attorney in the Parole Revocation Defense Unit, and Elon Harpaz, an attorney in the Criminal Appeals Bureau, who represented Mr. Vasquez. The case illustrates the importance of the Criminal Practice's attorney resource program.
Steven Banks, Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society, joined other advocates in promising to attempt to reverse the City's effort to make it more difficult for homeless families to quality for a rent subsidy program, known as Advantage. Last week, the City began phasing in tougher regulations.
Tamara A. Steckler, Attorney-in-Charge of the Juvenile Rights Practice, told New York 1 that "there is a huge juvenile justice reform underway and that reform is the first time in the 25 years I’ve been involved seems to involve every major player. Every major stakeholder around the table to effectuate meaningful reform and juvenile justice." Ms. Steckler's comments were part of a series on education and jails. Lindsey Christ, NY1's Education Reporter, has investigated the failure to provide children in trouble with a decent education. Her findings are the focus of a week-long series in which Legal Aid lawyers point out problems and offer solutions.