Legal

MPC website - Legal Services

1. http://www.lsny.org
The Legal Services of New York (LSNY) programs provide legal assistance in the areas of housing, family, and benefits, as well as in areas of growing importance to clients such as consumer, education, foreclosure prevention, and disability rights.

2. http://kidslaw.org
Legal Services for Children ("LSC") provides free legal assistance to the underserved population of disadvantaged children in New York City by providing civil legal representation and related social services, primarily in the areas of special education and Social Security disability benefits.

3. http://www.mfy.org
MFY Legal Services, Inc. provides free legal advice, counsel and representation to low-income New Yorkers on a wide range of civil legal issues, including housing, public benefits and entitlements, employment, mental health and adult home issues, consumer problems, and adoptions by foster care parents.

4. http://nylpi.org
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest is a nonprofit, civil rights law firm that strives for social justice. In partnership with member law firms, corporate law departments and other organizations, NYLPI helps underrepresented people develop legal strategies to serve their vision for themselves and their communities.

5. http://wrightslaw.com
Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. Wrightslaw is a very comprehensive website with an extensive directory of special education topics, issues and resources.

6. The New York State Unified Court System partners with local non-profit organizations, known as Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRCs), to provide mediation, arbitration and other dispute resolution options as an alternative to court. Every year, CDRCs help thousands of New Yorkers resolve a wide range of disputes involving:
•Landlords and Tenants
•Parents and Children
•Child Custody and Visitation (Parenting Issues)
•Families and Schools
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ip/adr/cdrc.shtml

7.The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the federal agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. We are a component of the Department of Homeland Security.
Some of the services provided include:
•Citizenship (Includes the Related Naturalization Process)
•Immigration of Family Members
•Working in the U.S.
•Humanitarian Programs
www.uscis.gov

8.The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs promotes the well-being of immigrant communities by recommending policies and programs that facilitate successful integration of immigrant New Yorkers into the civic, economic, and cultural life of the City. If you're an immigrant to New York City, this office can help you identify which City services you can access; find a community-based organization that can address your needs and with a staff person who speaks your language; and get information about your pending applications from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the INS).
http://www.nyc.gov/html/imm/html/home/home.shtml

9.Office of the Public Advocate
The job of the Public Advocate is that of a watchdog, ensuring that all New Yorkers receive the City services they deserve and have a voice in shaping the policies of their government. The Public Advocate also influences City planning, the budget process, and the management of retirement funds. The Public Advocate provides public school parents a voice in the education system; making government more efficient and transparent; and helping New Yorkers in need.
http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/role-public-advocate

10.The Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR), is a non-profit organization, founded in 1982 to educate, defend and protect the rights of immigrants. NMCIR works on issues such as immigration, citizenship, deportation and voter participation focusing on keeping families together, facilitating integration and building community power. Most of the individuals who walk through the doors of the Coalition are low-income, non-citizen immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin America, and increasingly, Africa and the Middle East.
http://www.nmcir.org/index.html

11.The Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp.
The Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) is a community-based not-for-profit organization that serves the Washington Heights and Inwood communities that provides free legal services to families who are located in Washington Heights and Inwood from 155th St. to 220th street. Other services include programs for children under 6 exposed to lead and landlord and tenant housing issues/eviction prevention.
http://www.idealist.org/view/org/Jzw2fJKWhccp/