THE PARTNERS

Collectively, the civil legal services partners, annually, serve more than 25,000 low-income clients and their families.

Monroe County Bar Association www.mcba.org

Monroe County Bar Association was established in 1896. It is a voluntary bar association, committed to educating its members and the public about the law and our system of justice. The Association represents the profession on a local, regional and national level on matters of importance to our members and the community. The Monroe County Bar conducts more than 80 Continuing Legal Education programs annually for the benefit of more than 3.000 private and public interest attorneys across the region.

Foundation of the Monroe County Bar MCBA Foundation

Foundation of the Monroe County Bar was established in 1951. The Foundation supports charitable and educational programs, which increase public understanding of the law, access to civil legal services for low-income people, improvement of the justice system, as well as community education initiatives.

Empire Justice Center www.empirejustice.org

Empire Justice Center was established in 2005 when the Greater Upstate Law Project and Public Interest Law Office merged to form a statewide not-for-profit law firm that protects and strengthens the legal rights of people in New York who are poor, disabled, or disenfranchised. The work of Empire Justice Center is "unrestricted", allowing staff to utilize a full range of advocacy tools such as systems change advocacy and litigation, training and support to other advocates and organizations, administrative and legislative advocacy and direct civil legal representation.

Legal Aid Society www.lasroc.org

Legal Aid Society was incorporated in 1921 to provide direct civil legal services, including advocacy and related human services, to adults and children. Legal Aid ensures that those who seek justice have an opportunity to receive a fair and full hearing and obtains legal solutions that have a beneficial impact on clients and the community. Legal Aid’s Domestic Violence Unit provides victims of domestic violence in Monroe and Orleans counties with legal representation, advice, and legal counseling in civil cases to end the abuse as well as education and training regarding the legal aspects of domestic violence to service providers and the community. The Domestic Violence Program is a partner in two collaborative projects: the Court Advocacy Program and the Domestic Violence Regional Collaborative.

Monroe County Legal Assistance Center www.lawny.org

Monroe County Legal Assistance Center was established by the Monroe County Bar Association in 1968 to promote equal access to justice for poor people by providing free legal representation in non-criminal matters. The organization is able to identify and address pressing legal needs that impact the lives of low-income people by working closely with community groups throughout Monroe County. MCLAC’s Fair Housing Enforcement Project seeks to advance the cause of equal housing opportunity through community education, investigation of housing discrimination complaints, and direct legal representation.

Volunteer Legal Services Project www.vlsprochester.org

Volunteer Legal Services Project was established in 1981 with a mission to improve the quality of life of low-income people by establishing a panel of skilled volunteer attorneys to resolve serious civil legal problems. Often working with the staff of the other legal services agencies, Volunteer Legal Services Project coordinates the delivery of legal services through more than 900 pro bono attorneys and through free legal clinics.