Grant Projects

The following Grants, funded through gifts to The New York Bar Foundation, have been awarded in 2007.

Boys and Girls Republic, New York

Brennan Center for Justice, New York

The Bronx Defenders, Bronx

Capital District Women’s Bar Association/The Legal Project, Albany

CASA Advocates for Children of New York State (formerly New York State CASA Association, Inc.), Albany

Center for Law and Justice, Albany

Center for Court Innovation Fund for the City of New York, New York

City Bar Justice Center of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York

Community Caregivers, Inc., Altamont

Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc. (CASA), New York

Homeless and Travelers Aid Society of the Capital District, Inc., Albany

Human Rights First, New York

Legal Assistance of the Finger Lakes, Geneva

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LAWNY), Geneva

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, White Plains

Legal Services for New York City, New York

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Inc., New York

Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc., Rochester

Make the Road by Walking, Inc., Brooklyn

Monroe County Bar Center for Education, Rochester

My Sisters’ Place, Inc., White Plains

Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc., Hempstead

New York Center for Interpersonal Development, Staten Island

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Inc., New York

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), New York

NYSBA Committee on Issues Affecting People with Disabilities, Albany

NYSBA Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, Albany

NYSBA Law, Youth and Citizenship Program, Albany

NYSBA Special Committee on Student Loan Assistance (SLAPI), Albany

NYSBA Special Committee to Ensure Quality of Mandated Representation, Albany

Partnership for Children’s Rights, New York

Prison Families of New York, Inc., Albany

Pro Bono Net, Inc., New York

Puerto Rican Bar Association/Puerto Rican Scholarship Fund, Inc., Brooklyn

Robert H. Jackson Center, Inc., Jamestown

Rural Law Center of New York, Inc., Plattsburgh

Southern Tier Legal Services (division of Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.), Bath

Syracuse University (Family Law and Social Policy Center), Syracuse

Thurgood Marshall Junior Mock Trial Program, Inc., Bronx

Town of Babylon Youth Development Research Institute, North Babylon

Urban Justice Center, New York

Unity House of Troy, Troy

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Washington, DC

Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc., Rochester

Volunteers of Legal Service, New York

Boys and Girls Republic, New York - to support the Self-Government and Citizenship Program by funding a part-time self-government program coordinator position.

Brennan Center for Justice, New York – for its Access to Justice project, which improves opportunities for low-income individuals, families and communities by securing effective legal representation and basic access to courts in civil and criminal cases. The Access to Justice Project works to ensure that low-income individuals have access to quality legal services. Funding is supporting, among other things, counseling, training, the Access Campaign, the Civil Gideon Campaign and the Dobbins litigation concerning funding restrictions.

The Bronx Defenders, Bronx – to support the Stable Homes Initiative of its Civil Action Project, which assists those with criminal records who are seeking to re-enter society. Criminal background checks are routine for employment, housing and public benefits applicants. Inaccurate information makes it even more difficult for these individuals to reenter society and receive the services they need. Rap sheet review and restoration of rights are extremely effective in eliminating some of the reentry obstacles these individuals face.

Capital District Women’s Bar Association/The Legal Project, Albany - to continue the Domestic Violence Legal Connection, a program designed to assist victims of domestic violence who do not have the means or access to funds to hire an attorney. Funding will be used to support litigation costs, such as filing fees, as well as expenses for training, legal resource materials and outreach to underserved communities and volunteer attorneys.

CASA Advocates for Children of New York State (formerly New York State CASA Association, Inc.), Albany - to train the 35-county local program network and two additional counties on a new curriculum introduced by the National CASA Association.

Center for Court Innovation Fund for the City of New York, New York – for a Summit to develop a roadmap for sustaining existing youth courts, developing new ones and fortifying the state’s network of youth courts over the next five years. The Summit will also provide an opportunity to initiate a series of quarterly trainings for youth court coordinators around the state.

Center for Law and Justice, Albany – to print the seventh edition of On Your Own, a directory of free legal services in the Capital District, to be distributed to those returning to the area from jails and prisons to assist them in the re-entry process. Annually, more than 2,000 people return to the Capital District from jails and prisons. Many find that there are few direct transitional services available to them and, as a result, many become homeless, hungry, unemployed and without proper medical care. On Your Own helps these individuals to identify the free services available to help them transition back into society.

City Bar Justice Center of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York – for its Re-Entry Project, which is aimed at providing legal services to people with criminal records who often face collateral consequences because of their record. The project will provide assistance in reviewing and cleaning up rap sheets, obtaining Certificates of Relief from Disabilities (CRD) or Certificates of Good Conduct (CGC) and legal representation at hearings challenging denials of public housing applications based on a past criminal conviction. The project will also serve as a conduit between the growing re-entry advocacy community and the New York City Bar, and will recruit and train volunteer attorneys for legal representation work.

Community Caregivers, Inc., Altamont - to provide information on pro bono and low-cost legal services to seniors and persons with disabilities.

Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc. (CASA), New York - for Project Family Connect aimed at addressing the specific needs of children in foster care who have an incarcerated parent. Funding was directed from the Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP Fund.

Homeless and Travelers Aid Society of the Capital District, Inc., Albany – for its Jail Diversion Program, which serves non-violent persons known or suspected to be living with a mental illness who are arrested. Those appropriate for jail diversion are linked to service providers and receive an individualized treatment plan with the overall aim of stabilization and re-entry into the community.

Human Rights First, New York – to fund its Refugee Protection Program. Through this program, lawyers are recruited and trained to help individuals seeking asylum, as well as those who have been granted asylum and seek to become permanent residents or bring their families to the United States. The Program provides direct legal representation, information, consultations and referrals.

Legal Assistance of the Finger Lakes, Geneva – to continue the Ontario County Family Court Pro Se Remote Assistance Project (RAP). The project enables pro se Family Court litigants to obtain legal assistance in drafting pro se Family Court petitions via video conferencing software and the Internet.

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LAWNY), Geneva - to increase the capacity of legal service providers to serve low-income people by providing law students with pro bono opportunities in public interest law firms in the LAWNY service area.

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, White Plains – to provide funding toward the salary of an elder law attorney who will be responsible for handling elder law cases in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties. LSHV is the only provider of free legal services to the elderly in these three counties.

Legal Services for New York City, New York – to support content development for LawHelp/NY.org, an online legal information clearinghouse that helps low-income New Yorkers find free legal services and obtain information about their legal rights. The Web site provides information about legal rights and services, helps users navigate the court system, and has links to social services and government agencies.

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Inc., New York – to partially fund the salary of an elder law attorney who will be responsible for the operation of the Caregivers Legal Support Center, which, as part of Lenox Hill’s Legal Advocacy Department, has an overall objective of providing legal information, advice and representation to unpaid family caregivers who are managing the affairs of elderly family members.

Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc., Rochester - to continue the implementation of the New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse’s Action Agenda. Funds will be used to increase the hours of one part-time Coalition coordinator position, which will allow for the expansion of the program’s activities.

Make the Road by Walking, Inc., Brooklyn - to fund the applicant’s Low Wage Workers Legal Support Project, which is staffed by its Legal Department and assists immigrant workers with their unpaid wage claims. The project will focus on workers who do not have access to legal aid and legal services offices. The grant will provide more staff time to extend the reach of its work to remedy wage theft.

Monroe County Bar Center for Education, Rochester - for the Minority Law Clerk Program to introduce first year minority law students to the practice area of law and legal community in the Rochester area. The grant will support an intern for the Public Defender’s Office of Monroe County.

My Sisters’ Place, Inc., White Plains - for its Family Law Unit, which provides free, high-quality civil legal advice, brief services, advocacy, education and direct representation in Family Court cases in conjunction with comprehensive support services to low-income victims of domestic violence.

Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc., Hempstead – to implement a pilot project in Suffolk County to improve the efficiency and consistency of its intake system. NSLS plans to create the staff position of intake coordinator to work with an existing team, Intake Working Group (IWG). This person will oversee intake functions of the housing, civil, welfare and pro bono units, coordinate intake on a county-wide basis, develop and implement improved policies and procedures for telephone and in-person intakes, and provide direction, training and supervision to staff, among other functions.

New York Center for Interpersonal Development, Staten Island - to offer mediation services to parents in the Richmond County Supreme Court, Matrimonial Part, in order to facilitate the divorce process.

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Inc., New York – to fund part of its Pro Bono Clearinghouse project which provides children with disabilities and their parents or guardians with pro bono legal representation to ensure that the children receive the special education services they require so that they may be educated in the least restrictive environment possible. NYLPI assists parents in preparing their child's Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), represents children in administrative hearings at the Department of Education's (DOE) impartial hearing process, helps parents work with school authorities to obtain services for their children through mediation, and engages in legal advocacy to improve special education services.

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), New York – for its Justice at Work Project ensure that low-wage workers are aware of their rights in the workplace and provide the necessary tools for workers to enforce those rights. Partial funding was directed from the Henry H. Shepard Fund.

NYSBA Committee on Issues Affecting People with Disabilities, Albany – to continue its Disability and the Law video series, which is aimed at educating and informing persons with disabilities of their legal rights and how to obtain legal assistance, with additional goals of educating attorneys and the general public. The focus of the 2007 series is the increased prevalence of autism and the rights and resources for families with autistic children, as well as information for advocates and attorneys regarding rights and applicable laws.

NYSBA Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, Albany – to continue the Legal Ethics Awards program, which honors law school students for exemplary writings or projects on issues of professional ethics. Each New York law school is invited to participate and is given $750 to award to the winner(s). Funding is also used to offset the printing cost of the compendium.

NYSBA Law, Youth and Citizenship Program, Albany – to conduct the New York State High School Mock Trial Program, which teaches students, teachers and parents about the rule of law and the role of attorneys and judges, as well as provides them with an understanding of the law and court procedures. The program also increases students' analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as their public speaking, reading and writing skills. In addition, students gain an understanding of the importance of civility and sportsmanship in an adversarial system of justice.

NYSBA Law, Youth and Citizenship Program, Albany – to fund the New York State Mock Trial Camp, which brings together high school students from across the state to participate in a fast-paced, intensive trial practice camp for five days. Students will work with seasoned trial lawyers on opening statements, direct and cross-examination, closing arguments, objections and rules of evidence.

NYSBA Law, Youth and Citizenship Program, Albany – to conduct law-related educational programs for K-12th grade teachers. The program focuses on knowledge, skills and civic attitudes fundamental to a healthy democracy. The program provides teachers with substantive information about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, the legal and justice systems, forensic science, current research in risk and resiliency, the civic mission of schools and best practices in law-related and civic education.

NYSBA Special Committee on Student Loan Assistance (SLAPI), Albany – to provide loan assistance to new public interest attorneys, which offsets their high law school loan debt and enables them to continue in their public interest careers.

NYSBA Special Committee to Ensure Quality of Mandated Representation, Albany -to provide a one-day continuing legal education course designed to train institutional and individual providers of representation mandated by constitution or statute for indigent defendants in criminal or family court. The live seven-credit MCLE program will be offered in Albany and, thereafter, the recorded program will be offered for a nominal fee to providers of indigent defense throughout the state.

Partnership for Children’s Rights, New York - to increase its capacity to represent disadvantaged children with disabilities in their fight to obtain the educational and Supplemental Social Security benefits to which they are entitled.

Prison Families of New York, Inc., Albany – to fund its Fifth Annual Retreat for Women. The retreat provides families of prisoners incarcerated in New York State with education on legal issues and procedures. It also provides the opportunity for community building and the development of recommendations to guide state agencies in making it easier for children of prisoners to develop a relationship with their imprisoned parent.

Pro Bono Net, Inc., New York – to fund its recruitment campaign, which will expand the quality and availability of free legal services to the poor through innovative uses of Web-based tools created and supported by Pro Bono Net (PBN). In 2007, PBN will continue and expand its initiatives aimed at increasing the number of New York lawyers providing pro bono legal services to the poor. Specific projects include: expanding support for distance learning through use of the webcasting tool, increasing collaboration in the NYC Pro Bono Center, and launching a collaborative upstate pro bono initiative.

Puerto Rican Bar Association/Puerto Rican Scholarship Fund, Inc., Brooklyn – to operate a legal referral and information service (LRIS) to serve the Hispanic community within five counties of New York City (New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx and Richmond). The Hispanic population is significantly underserved and the LRIS will match people in the Hispanic community who speak their language and understand their culture.

Robert H. Jackson Center, Inc., Jamestown – to assist in a statewide initiative to educate eighth grade students about the shaping of Civil Rights law in America. This project involves the appearance of Newbery Award-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis and a book review competition, which is conducted in cooperation with NYSBA's Law, Youth and Citizenship program.

Rural Law Center of New York, Inc., Plattsburgh - to provide direct legal assistance to rural New York low-income seniors when they face consumer debt collection and predatory lending problems that threaten their already limited incomes.  Funding was directed from the Hon. Richard J. Bartlett Fund.

Southern Tier Legal Services (division of Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.), Bath – to fund the AmeriCorps Access to Justice Project, which supports two paralegals and enables STLS to respond to the civil legal needs of poor clients in Steuben and Allegany counties. This project will continue to enhance the accessibility of legal services to clients who have special needs, such as those living in isolated rural areas, victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

Syracuse University (Family Law and Social Policy Center), Syracuse - to provide comprehensive advocacy to resolve the health-related legal needs of low-income children.  The Family Advocacy Program is a medical-legal partnership between the Family Law and Social Policy Center and the Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic of the Syracuse University College of Law and the University Pediatric and Adolescent Center of University Hospital of SUNY Upstate Medical University.  The college of law entities train the medical staff to identify children and families in need of legal services and the medical staff then refer identified patients to the legal entities. 

Thurgood Marshall Junior Mock Trial Program, Inc.,
Bronx –- to fund the Tenth Annual Junior Mock Trial Competition, which will provide students with a positive introduction to the judicial system and expose them to role models and careers in the legal field. The cases teach students the importance of avoiding conflicts and that failure to do so results in serious consequences.

Town of Babylon Youth Development Research Institute, North Babylon – to fund the Town of Babylon Youth Court, where local teens are trained to serve as judges, jurors and attorneys. They hear actual cases of their peers involving low-level offenses, such as vandalism, shoplifting, criminal trespass or criminal mischief. Young offenders are held accountable by being required to assist in restoring the community and are guided to services needed to avoid further misconduct.

Unity House of Troy, Troy - to provide legal consultation and representation in civil legal proceedings relating to orders of protection, custody, support, divorce, name change, small claims and eviction.

Urban Justice Center, New York – to support the Street Vendor Project, which was founded in 2001 and provides legal assistance to the approximately 12,000 street vendors, mostly immigrants, who provide inexpensive and convenient food to thousands of New Yorkers. The vendors are unable to affordattorneys and the project assists them with challenging vending tickets. The Project, which handles 30 to 40 cases each week, is recruiting and training a team of 15 to 20 pro bono attorneys to assist with the growing caseload.

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Washington, DC – to expand the New York work of its National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children, which was launched in 2005. USCRI is the national agency that receives and coordinates pro bono legal and social services for thousands of immigrant children released from federal custody each year, including 500 released in the New York City area.

Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc., Rochester – to underwrite the cost of a paralegal who will match re-entering eligible offenders with pro bono attorneys to assist them in obtaining Certificates of Relief from Disability (CRDs), which may be granted under New York Correction Law Article 23 and which relieve an eligible offender of any forfeiture or disability or to remove any bar to employment automatically imposed by law by reason of the conviction of the crime. The project will also provide pro bono assistance to low-income micro-entrepreneurs who wish to start businesses in economically distressed neighborhoods in Rochester, New York.

Volunteers of Legal Service, New York – to fund the Elderly Project, which provides legal services to elderly persons living in Manhattan and who live on a fixed income.