The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) was founded in 1990 by Kathryn O. Greenberg on the premise that low income individuals and families could improve their lives significantly if given access to legal help with civil matters.

From its inception, NYLAG has been determined to assist not only truly destitute New Yorkers, but also those near poor and working poor who are unqualified for traditional government funded legal services programs yet clearly unable to afford a private lawyer. To achieve this goal, NYLAG operates chiefly on private funding and is thus able to provide services to clients marginally above federal poverty income guidelines. Today, with a budget of over $5 million, NYLAG is over 90 percent privately funded and provides critical legal assistance to thousands of New York City residents across the five boroughs.

The ideals which spurred NYLAG’s creation remain at the forefront of the work we do and our vision for the future. NYLAG has grown from its grassroots to a paid legal staff 49 and over 500 public interest-minded volunteers. From a modest single general legal services unit in 1990, NYLAG now offers seven exceptional legal divisions addressing vital issues ranging from immigration to domestic violence to elder law, special education and health care. Our ability to reach clients is greatly increased by the hundreds of volunteer attorneys, paralegals, students and other individuals who help NYLAG meet the legal needs of the population we serve.

MILESTONES: 2005

NYLAG handled 17,005 cases benefiting 26,504 individuals.

NYLAG benefited additional thousands through successful impact litigation.
More than 5,000 individuals were served through community legal education seminars, and over 2,000 more were helped through attorney help desks.
NYLAG clients received more than $4 million in home care services, child support, alimony, back awards and monthly payments.
164 pro bono attorneys, paralegals, law students, and individuals donated over 90,000 hours of time.