After an extensive search, NYLAG has named Amira Samuel as director of Pro Bono & Volunteers. A graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Samuel was previously the pro bono manager at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice and the director of Economic Justice Programs at FreeFrom. From 2010-2016, Amira represented Orthodox Jewish survivors of domestic violence in their civil and rabbinical court matters as the Project Eden coordinator at NYLAG.
Samuel has deep expertise in legal services, pro bono partnerships, project design and recruitment. She will be responsible for building NYLAG’s pro bono relationships and partnerships, recruitment and engagement of law students and emeritus attorneys and developing programs that advance NYLAG’s mission and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) priorities.
“NYLAG is committed to combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our pro bono and volunteer partnerships allow us to expand our reach and increase our impact,” said President & Attorney-in-Charge Beth Goldman.” Amira is a dedicated attorney who cares deeply about access to justice and working with the broader legal community to prioritize helping those who need legal services most. Her experience and dedication will be a tremendous asset to NYLAG, and we are glad that she has come back.”
Last year, 2,100 pro bono attorneys and volunteers donated 74,500 hours to NYLAG, helping us to impact the lives of nearly 90,000 people. During COVID, pro bono and volunteers were instrumental in helping us reach those most impacted by the virus. Volunteers helped staff NYLAG’s NY COVID-19 Legal Resource Hotline, worked with our Domestic Violence Law Unit to file family offense petitions for domestic violence survivors, assisted our Employment Law Project address the deluge of Unemployment Insurance cases, and co-counseled with our Immigration Protection Unit to advocate for the released of detained immigrants at risk of infection and serious injury, among many other projects.
“I am thrilled to be back at NYLAG and am eager to recruit more champions of our work, partners in our goals and proliferators of our mission,” said Amira Samuel, Director, Pro Bono & Volunteers. “NYLAG is an incredibly special organization, staffed by fearless advocates serving New York City’s most vulnerable, never shying away from the most complex matters or the opportunity to highlight the lived experiences of their clients and fight for the justice they deserve.”
