Leaders for Justice: New York City Bar Presidents on Pro Bono and Access to Justice

November 20, 2009

The City Bar Justice Center, the pro bono affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, has produced a collection of essays by the current president, Patricia M. Hynes, and all living former City Bar presidents, titled “Leaders for Justice: New York City Bar Presidents on Pro Bono and Access to Justice.”

NYC Bar Association Calls for Right to Counsel for Immigrant Detainees

November 2, 2009

Finding that over one-third of immigrant detainees at the Varick Federal Detention Facility in New York City had reasonable claims for relief from removal, and considering the high financial and moral costs of maintaining the current detention system for immigrants, the New York City Bar urges that all immigrant detainees be provided with legal counsel.

City Bar Justice Center Launches Jeremy G. Epstein Awards for Pro Bono Service

October 23, 2009

The City Bar Justice Center, the pro bono affiliate of the New York City Bar, has announced the winners of the first annual Jeremy G. Epstein Awards for Pro Bono Service. Honoring volunteer lawyers for outstanding work on Justice Center projects, the awards will be presented at a Pro Bono Luncheon and Celebration of Service as part of the National Pro Bono Celebration.

New York City Bar and City Bar Justice Center Announce Deferred Associate Law Extern Support Project

August 26, 2009

The New York City Bar and City Bar Justice Center are pleased to announce the launch of the Deferred Associate Law Extern Support Project.

Free Legal Clinic for Clients of Arrested Immigration Attorney

February 23, 2009

On Monday, February 23rd, in cooperation with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, the New York City Immigrant Advocacy Initiative—a collaborative effort of the City Bar Justice Center and the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Pro Bono Committee—is offering a free legal clinic at the New York City Bar for Espinal’s clients.

City Bar Justice Center Announces Libby Vazquez as New Director of Legal Hotline

November 10, 2008

Libby Vazquez has been named the new Director of the City Bar Justice Center’s Legal Hotline.

City Bar Justice Center Adds Reginald Boddie as Staff Attorney

September 23, 2008

Reginald Boddie has been named the new staff attorney for the Volunteer Lawyer for a Day Program co-sponsored by the City Bar Justice Center of the New York City Bar Association and the Civil Court of the City of New York.

City Bar Justice Center Commends Public Advocate

April 2, 2008

The City Bar Justice Center commends the Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, for raising awareness about the U Visa, which promotes the safety of all New Yorkers, not just immigrants.

Elderly Brooklyn couple slapped with $44,000 city water bill

May 21, 2018

“It’s really difficult for any senior who’s trying to remain in their home in New York City to be hit with that kind of bill,” said Scott Kohanowski, a lawyer for the City Bar Justice Center.

Thomas and her husband, Cecil, are in their 70s and have lived on Avenue B in Canarsie for 40 years.

Kohanowski helped them apply for relief under a city leak forgiveness program. But to qualify, homeowners must apply within 120 days of their first high bill. The DEP said the couple missed that deadline.”

A Horrifying Path to America for Hotel Workers

March 1, 2018

Our client profiled in The Atlantic magazine.

“Four people in need of work went to the first meeting and gave the man money, but Racida Eslabon was the only one who made it to the United States. She had already worked in a factory in Japan, and when she got back to the Philippines, she wanted to leave again so she could send money home to her mother, who was sick. She had been trying to get a job through a placement agency but with no success, so it seemed like very good luck when she met Alfred Briones in June 2008.”

Protecting Senior Homeowners from Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure: A Policy Brief

August 17, 2017

In recent years, reverse mortgage defaults and foreclosures have dramatically increased both in New York and nationwide, putting many senior homeowners at risk of displacement. The Center for NYC Neighborhoods would like to thank and acknowledge the contributions of K. Scott Kohanowski of City Bar Justice Center and Jessica Scholes of New York Legal Assistance Group to this report.

Learning the Importance of Estate Planning the Hard Way

June 2, 2017

When Rodriguez’s father became ill, he hadn’t planned a will or made any arrangements to transfer his assets to others after his death. When he died unexpectedly, Rodriguez became very worried that he would lose his home, the apartment he had lived in for over 20 years. Thanks to the Planning and Estates Law Project at the City Bar Justice Center, he was able to retain a lawyer and prove in court that the apartment belonged to him under New York State Law.

Refugees From Violence and War Build New Lives In New York

May 9, 2017

“The narrative coming out of this White House is that asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants are terrorists, are fraudsters, are criminals, and that is absolutely not borne out by the clients we work with,” says Jennifer Kim, co-director of the Immigrant Justice Project at the City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal advocacy group.

Here’s Why Immigrant Victims May (Still) Be Afraid to Report Crime

February 21, 2017

Immigrants without legal status are often vulnerable to crime, because they’re afraid of going to law enforcement and being deported. This is why Congress authorized a special program called the U visa almost 20 years ago. It enables them to remain in the U.S. and work if they can prove they were helpful to investigators or prosecutors. “It helps create community partnerships with law enforcement and helps keep perpetrators of violence off the street,” said Suzanne Tomatore, coordinator of the Immigrant Justice Project at the City Bar Justice Center.

At JFK’s Terminal 4, a good weekend to be a lawyer

February 10, 2017

Laura Berger, a litigator for City Bar Justice Center, showed up Sunday morning in response to a 3 a.m. email from the Urban Justice Center. She told me she figured she would put to use her immigration law experience.

At Least a Dozen Detainees Still Held at JFK in Apparent Violation of Federal Judge’s Ruling

Four detainees who had secured legal representation were released Sunday morning, Laura Berger, an immigration attorney with the City Bar Justice Center and volunteer with the Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), told Jezebel.

NYLAG’s Pro Se Clinic Opens for Business in the Southern District

November 4, 2016

The pro se clinic is a sibling of the City Bar Justice Center’s Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project, which operates out of the courthouse in downtown Brooklyn and handles roughly 400 cases a year.

City Bar Justice Center Presents Pro Bono Awards

October 26, 2016

The New York City Bar Justice Center presented its annual Jeremy G. Epstein Awards for Outstanding Pro Bono Service on Monday.