Get Involved

The Legal Aid Society provides free legal assistance to New Yorkers who live at or below the poverty line and cannot afford to pay for private counsel when confronted with a legal problem. As a comprehensive, full service law firm, the Society provides legal services in three Practice Areas: Civil, Criminal and Juvenile Rights.

You can get involved in a number of ways.

You can donate funds to help support the Civil Practice, the oldest and largest civil program in the nation, that represents the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including senior citizens, survivors of domestic violence, disabled children and adults, homeless and imminently homeless children and adults, low wage workers, immigrants and persons living with HIV/AIDS. The Civil Practice relies on private contributions.

As one of the largest non-profits in New York City, the Society is a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization, and has been classified as a publicly supported charitable organization under Section 501(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Society maintains strong relationships with New York City’s private bar. Hundreds of volunteer lawyers participate in the pro bono program, one of the largest in the nation. Lawyers from major law firms co-counsel on major class action litigation and law reform cases.

Are you interested in volunteering your time at The Legal Aid Society?
Email your resume and availability to volunteer@legal-aid.org.

LEARN MORE

The Legal Aid Society receives outstanding support from Sustaining Law Firms that support the Civil Practice by contributing at a leadership level of $600 per New York attorney.

The Associates’ Campaign is a fund raising effort among the young lawyers in New York City’s major firms to support the Civil Practice.

Another important fund raising arm is the Civil Support Division, a volunteer group that produces fund raising events including the Annual Ball and the Thinking Out Loud Luncheon. The Civil Support Division also introduces prospective volunteers and donors to the Legal Aid Society through the Jo Raymond Seminar, a cultivation event.