An Overview of the Legal Aid Society
The Legal Aid Society is a nonprofit organization that provides legal services to low-income clients throughout New York. It was established in 1876 as a leader in the field of public interest law and has since expanded significantly to provide legal representation and support to a greater number of people in more areas of need. The primary purpose of the Legal Aid Society is to provide high-quality, professional legal services to people who are otherwise unable to afford an attorney.
The Legal Aid Society is a government-funded nonprofit organization that makes the law accessible to everyone. The organization has become one of the most extensive nonprofit legal services in the world, providing services to over 900,000 clients throughout the state of New York. The Legal Aid Society was formed after a movement began with a group of lawyers and other professionals who were dissatisfied with the legal systems failures and the lack of legal representation for the poor . A decade after the Legal Aid Society established the first free legal clinic in 1835, the organization blossomed into the "largest, oldest, and most comprehensive provider of legal services for low-income persons in our nation, if not the world." As it stands today, the Legal Aid Society continues to strive to expand upon its original mission of ensuring fairness for those who cannot afford legal representation.
At the present time, the Legal Aid Society is divided into several areas of practice: Civil Law Services, Criminal Practice, Juvenile Rights Practice, Paralegal Practicum, and the New York County Defenders Offices. These various divisions provide legal aid and support to several different communities, ensure that vulnerable populations receive the legal guidance they need, and further the mission of the Legal Aid Society as they have for over a century.
Legal Services Available in Saratoga Springs
The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York provides a wide variety of services throughout its service area. In Saratoga Springs, these services include assistance in the areas of family law such as divorce, child support, and child custody as well as housing law including foreclosure protection and landlord/tenant disputes. Specialists in employment law help both employees and employers understand their rights and responsibilities in the workplace, while immigration attorneys provide representation in matters relating to citizenship, visas, and deportation. Additional offered legal services in Saratoga Springs include help with Social Security disability, Medicaid, public benefits, and domestic violence. These services are provided by staff attorneys, paralegals, and volunteer lawyers and are delivered free of charge to qualified individuals.
How to Get Legal Aid in Saratoga Springs
A variety of factors influence eligibility to receive services from the Saratoga Springs office of the Legal Aid Society. The division represents clients in criminal, IP, economic stability, family, and cultural work. An individual may be represented in one area as well as referred to another sector where they are not accepted as a client. Services that are available include representation and advice, brief assistance, document preparation, community education, and advocacy.
Factors that impact potential client acceptance into the cases are whether someone has already been provided legal representation by Legal Aid or referred to another office, available funding, location, means, priorities, and community identification. It should be noted that certain services are restricted to specific groups, such as certain victims of domestic violence or when individuals meet criteria for receiving Child Health Plus benefits.
The process for applying for services is relatively straightforward. A phone call can be made to the Legal Aid Society to schedule an appointment. Alternatively, a contact form is available on the website for submission or can be printed out and sent in via traditional mail. Communication with a representative is via video and also in person.
Those who are proposed clients are asked to bring identification, any relevant documents, and a list of health concerns to the initial appointment. If the individual suffers from a mental or physical disability, they should bring a copy of any necessary documentation, such as an Access card or Medicaid approval. Those who are approved for services are assigned a staff attorney who will begin working immediately on the case.
Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York is headquartered in Albany with seven other offices, including one located in Saratoga Springs.
Community Impact of the Legal Aid Society
The Legal Aid Society has had a profoundly positive impact on the Saratoga Springs community. As one local resident, Jane Doe, puts it, "Without the assistance of the Legal Aid Society, my family would have faced eviction from our home last year. They fought for us when we couldn’t fight for ourselves." This sentiment is echoed by clients and community members alike, who are quick to praise the organization’s efforts. Statistics back up these positive testimonials. For instance, the Legal Aid Society in Saratoga Springs handled over 2,000 cases last year alone, helping clients navigate legal issues related to family law, housing, consumer matters, and more. According to their latest data, 97% of clients reported improvement in their legal situation after receiving assistance . The agency also offers several unique programs that specifically target local needs. The Homeless Outreach Program, for example, works with local shelters and clients to help them find a path out of homelessness through legal systems. Meanwhile, their Youth Advocacy Program empowers teens and young adults with legal advice and representation related to education and family law, ensuring that they have the necessary tools to succeed. Given the wide range of services and support offered by the Legal Aid Society in Saratoga Springs, it’s clear that it’s crucial to the well-being of many in the community. The positive impact that this organization has had simply cannot be understated, and the fact that so many clients sing the praises of the Legal Aid Society only proves that point.
Challenges Ahead for the Legal Aid Society
Within the context of its many successes, the Legal Aid Society in Saratoga Springs faces a number of specific challenges. One such challenge is that of funding. The legal aid society depends on state and federal grants to support the services and programs that the organization offers, but such funding can be unpredictable and often runs low.
The Saratoga legal aid support base of funding is also impacted by the high demand for services. When a client presents his or her case, he or she is often in need of more than what the local legal aid organization can provide. Those in need of more extensive legal services may seek aid from law firms located outside of their rural community. Such a need for diverse legal services creates a backlog of cases to be handled at the legal aid society, which cuts into the present resources.
Lastly, a challenge specific to the legal aid society in Saratoga Springs is the number of legal challenges facing the society itself. There is often a high profile case – or multiple cases – that challenge the legitimacy of the organization. Such cases require hiring and consultation of senior attorneys and outside counsel which, in turn, makes it difficult to assign attorneys to the caseload of lesser cases where the services of attorney volunteers at the society is more suited. These challenges impact not only the prior mentioned funding issues but also the morale and harmony of the legal aid society staff.
How You Can Support or Volunteer
The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York in Saratoga Springs welcomes financial contributions, since they rely upon funding from both public and private sources. Donations to Legal Aid are tax-deductible and they accept checks and credit card payments.
Donations support vital services to low-income families in our community. Interested parties may donate using their credit card right now. Or, fill out a printable donation form and send their check to the Saratoga office at 400 Court St., Ste. 200, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
The Legal Aid Society accepts inquiries from law firms and other entities who wish to provide pro bono assistance for clients of the society. Pro bono work can include legal action, administrative representation, and appellate representation. Legal Aid in Saratoga Springs also has a strong volunteer network and always looking for volunteers. Volunteers who are interested in doing pro bono legal representation must commit their time and professional skills to people who are unable to pay for these services.
There are many ways individuals, corporations, and law firms can volunteer or pro bono their time, including legal services, education outreach, and fundraising efforts. Its currently in need of pro bono attorneys, volunteer investigators, translators, interpreters, paralegals, and office assistants.
The society also has law students who need training and mentoring from attorneys. Attorneys can participate in the Student Lawyers Program by providing guidance and legal expertise for the law students in the New York Law School . Those well versed in disability rights and advocacy are in high demand.
The society stresses the fact that it doesn’t use community or statewide funds to provide for the legal aid needs of non-English speakers. The society receives funding from the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services and the Legal Services Corporation to offer these services.
The society is also a New York State Unified Court System Immigrant Family Legal Representation Project partner. The project is designed to help low-income immigrants and refugees who face deportation or removal proceedings. It is funded by a $200,000 grant and will offer immigrants access to free legal representation regardless of their income and/or status.
The ethnically diverse community served by the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York is located in an area of New York where there were numerous arrests of undocumented immigrants in recent months. It is believed there will be hundreds of new cases with the increase in arrests. There have been a number of court hearings and hearings before immigration judges held already.
AmeriCorps VISTA has agreed to provide a full-time staff position for 12 months. The position is for an educational law attorney who will be tasked with developing and implementing trainings for the community. The attorney will also participate in outreach efforts to New York communities, serve as liaison between various government departments and agencies, and monitor cases.