Volunteers of Legal Service's mission is to leverage the good will, resources, and talents of some of New York City's best law firms to provide pro bono legal services to its neediest residents.
By focusing on recruiting, training, and supporting volunteer lawyers, our small staff is able to have an enormous impact. Each year, over 800 pro bono lawyers contribute a total of 30,000 hours, a value of $7.5 million in legal fees. Since our annual budget is approximately $1 million, this represents a 750% return on our donors' investment in achieving equal justice for all.
The true value of our work, however, is what our volunteer lawyers, using their impressive talents, are able to achieve for low-income New Yorkers. In 2011, VOLS volunteer lawyers helped over 3,000 people, including 600 children, stop evictions, win government benefits such as unemployment, Medicaid, and Food Stamps, reunite with families, and even start small businesses.
Our projects include:
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