| The oldest and largest provider of legal services in | | | | The remaining 10% comes from the annual fund |
| the United States to its community was founded in | | | | raising activities organize by the Society. This includes |
| 1876. The Legal Aid Society's main function is to | | | | private donations from individual, associates, law |
| provide free legal services to the people living in New | | | | firms, corporations, foundations and special events. |
| York who are living at or below the poverty level. | | | | The Legal Aid Society can be seen to have the |
| This will help to ensure that the justice system does | | | | largest pro bono programs in the country. There are |
| not miss out on these groups of people who cannot | | | | about 900 talented voulnteer lawyers working for |
| afford to hire a lawyer. These groups of people are | | | | the Society every year. Ever since it started its pro |
| unable to even have enough for their daily basic | | | | bono program, the Society has done a lot to ensure |
| necessities much say a lawyer should they require | | | | it is able to retain and maintian its relationships with |
| one when they face a legal situation. The Legal Aid | | | | the volunteer lawyers throughout their carrers in the |
| Society basically provides services such as criminal | | | | legal field. A unit located at the Society's |
| defense and juvenile representation in Family Court | | | | headquarters at 199 Water Street holds the usual |
| for these groups of people in New York. | | | | pro bono activities. To the Society, these individuals |
| Every year, the Society will have to handle about | | | | are very valuable as they help to provide a strong |
| more than 200,000 indigent criminal cases. On top of | | | | base of contacts and relationship. |
| these criminal cases, the Society has to act as legal | | | | The Legal Aid Society can be said to be a forerunner |
| guardian to more than 30,000 children, representing | | | | in the legal field. It can be considered to have more |
| individuals, families and community groups in more | | | | experienced in more practice areas on a larger scale |
| than 30,000 cases. The number of cases taken by | | | | than any other large institution in New York. The |
| the Society has only increased since it was founded | | | | Society can be seen to hold quite a powerful |
| in 1876. This could only imply that the income gap | | | | standing in the legal field in its country. This can be |
| between the rice and poor in New York is growing | | | | witness by how the Society's developed programs |
| further and further apart as the country progress. | | | | affect certain approaches in the national and |
| This has resulted in more and more people having to | | | | international arenas. On top of that, it is one of the |
| turn to legal aid service provided when they face a | | | | few legal services organizations in New York who can |
| legal situation they need help with. | | | | pursue immigration and welfare representations, class |
| On top of representing in the above mentioned | | | | actions and prison litigation. In order not to restrict |
| cases, the Legal Aid Society will also frequently | | | | the Society's practice, it has retained a full range of |
| conduct major class action litigation on behalf of | | | | advocacy options for the clients' it serves by |
| thousands of welfare recipients, foster children, | | | | declining funding. |
| elderly poor, homeless families, inmates and prisoners. | | | | When it comes to the resolution of their clients' |
| The amount of working and responsibility taken by | | | | problems, the Legal Aid Society can be seen to |
| the Society has increased over the year. Today, the | | | | continuously seek the most effective approaches |
| Society plays an active and important role in the | | | | throughout its existence. The Society has a strong |
| providing of justice to the people living in poverty. | | | | believe that the continuation of any legal involvement |
| Current, the Society has more than 800 lawyers | | | | will erode their client's potential to build and enjoy |
| working with approximately 600 paraprofessionals | | | | productive lives, while incurring high social costs. Due |
| working based in neighborhood and court-based | | | | to this strong believe, new innovative strategies and |
| offices in 18 facilities in the five boroughs of New | | | | efficient models of service delivery has been made. |
| York City. The Society basically gets its resources | | | | One of these strategies is to break the patterns of |
| from public funding from criminal defense work and | | | | escalating involvement with the criminal and civil legal |
| representation of juveniles in child protective and | | | | systems. By using this strategy, the Society's clients |
| delinquency matters. Public funding contributes about | | | | are able to receive comprehensive legal and social |
| 90% of the Society's fiscal budget of $140 million. | | | | services. |