NCLEJ Announces Margarita Rosa as Its New Executive Director

-Posted February 2015

NCLEJ is pleased to announce the hiring of Margarita Rosa as its new Executive Director. Margarita brings significant nonprofit and governmental experience to NCLEJ, having headed the Grand Street Settlement, located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, for the past two decades and having previously served as the New York State Commissioner of Human Rights from 1990-1994, among other roles. Margarita will assume responsibilities as Executive Director in April 2015 from Mary R. (Gina) Mannix, who has served as Interim Executive Director of NCLEJ since August 2014 when she took over that position upon the retirement of Henry Freedman. Please join us in welcoming Margarita to NCLEJ! Read more

 

NCLEJ Releases Report: “Empty Judgments: The Wage Collection Crisis in New York”

-Posted February 2015

NCLEJ, together with the Legal Aid Society and the Urban Justice Center, released a report on February 25, 2015, showing the difficulties low-wage workers face in collecting their stolen wages. “Empty Judgments: The Wage Collection Crisis in New York” details how unscrupulous employers often evade paying wage judgments, even when a court or the Department of Labor has ordered an employer to pay back wages to workers. The report advocates for the passage of the SWEAT bill (A5501) to create a wage lien in New York State. The New York Times outlined the report’s findings here. Read the full report

 

NCLEJ and Empire Justice Center Enforcement Actions Extend Relief for Needy Residents of Nassau County, NY

-Posted January 2015

Under a federal court order entered in January 2015 approving a revised settlement agreement, the Nassau County Department of Social Services must demonstrate compliance with its obligations to process applications for food stamps, Medicaid, and cash assistance in a timely manner, execute new case sampling procedures, and disclose updates regarding implementation of a corrective action plan. Plaintiffs retain the right to enforce the defendant’s compliance. The agreement was reached following months of negotiations under the supervision of a Special Master appointed by the Court following NCLEJ and Empire Justice Center’s filing of a motion for enforcement in 2014. Read more

 

NCLEJ is Accepting Applications for Summer 2015 Internships

-Posted December 2014

NCLEJ is currently accepting applications for Summer 2015 internships. Please submit applications to student@nclej.org. For additional details, please see: Summer Internships.

 

Ulster County (NY) Sheriff Stops Unlawful Warrant Checks at DSS

-Posted December 2014

The Ulster County, NY Sheriff’s Office began running criminal warrant checks on all visitors to the County Department of Social Services in October 2014. NCLEJ, along with the New York Civil Liberties Union, wrote to county officials demanding that they rescind their misguided and unlawful policy, which deters and discourages people from seeking assistance from DSS in violation of state and federal law. On November 18, 2014, the Sheriff agreed to suspend the unlawful warrant check practice in response to our demands. Read more

 

NCLEJ Urges U.S. Supreme Court to Protect the Ability of Low-Income Patients to Pursue Medical Malpractice Claims

-Posted November 2014

On November 11, NCLEJ filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the ability of low-income patients of federally-funded health centers to pursue medical malpractice claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act by continuing the longstanding rule allowing exceptions to time limits for bringing claims. The amicus was filed in U.S. v. June and NCLEJ was joined by the Sargent Shriver National Center for Poverty Law. NCLEJ Board member Edward Krugman and his colleagues at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP represented NCLEJ and the Shriver Center.

 

Workers, Represented by NCLEJ, Demand that the NYS Department of Labor Enforce Labor Law

-Posted November 2014

Dodyk Fellow Leah Lotto (far left) speaks at the press conference.

On behalf of its client the National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS), NCLEJ sent a demand letter to the New York State Department of Labor to thoroughly and promptly investigate its unacceptable backlog of cases. At a press conference outside the DOL office on November 12, workers shared how the DOL has mishandled their wage theft complaints. “The Department of Labor is failing workers in New York State. We are demanding that the Department of Labor fulfill its duties to enforce New York’s labor law,” said Dodyk Fellow Leah Lotto. Click here for the full press release.

 

Dodyk Fellow Trains Low-Wage Workers on Fighting Wage Theft

-Posted October 2014

On October 10th, NCLEJ's Dodyk Fellow Leah Lotto presented a Know Your Rights training to members of the Sweatshop Free Upper West Side Campaign (NYC). Members work in industries with high levels of wage theft, where employers fail to pay minimum wage or overtime. Leah outlined how to file a wage complaint with the NYS Department of Labor, with tips for how to best work with the agency. The SFUWS Campaign is a neighborhood-based coalition led by residents, students, faith-based groups, local organizations, workers, and local small businesses to build a community with decent jobs and fair labor practices.

 

NCLEJ’s Greg Bass Presented at the ABA National Aging & the Law Conference in Washington, DC

-Posted October 2014

In October, Senior Attorney Greg Bass presented at a workshop he organized for the American Bar Association’s National Aging & the Law Conference in Washington, DC. Along with attorneys from Greater Boston Legal Services and AARP Foundation Litigation, Greg presented on using the Americans with Disabilities Act on behalf of public assistance clients. He also participated in a panel on hunger issues and the elderly at the conference, where he discussed NCLEJ’s ongoing efforts to combat hunger through food stamp advocacy in Hawaii, Connecticut, Colorado, and Georgia.

 

NCLEJ’s Laura Redman in the New York Law Journal

-Posted September 2014

NCLEJ Senior Attorney Laura Redman’s article “Perspectives from Europe: Balancing Same-Sex and Religious Rights” was published September 8, 2014 in the New York Law Journal. From the article: “[T]he [cases] stand for the principle that religious belief alone in the employment context does not allow one to ignore anti-discrimination law.” Read more

 

 

 

NCLEJ’s Food Stamp Litigation Highlighted

-Posted September 2014

ThinkProgress, an independent, progressive, non-partisan news blog from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, highlights NCLEJ’s work to ensure timely food stamp access for low-income families across the country. The article cites Indiana’s improved timely processing of food stamps applications after NCLEJ’s lawsuit and our current cases against Nebraska and Georgia. Read more

 

 

Nebraska Appleseed and NCLEJ Challenge Unlawful Delay of Food Assistance in Nebraska

-Posted August 2014

Applications for food stamps must be processed quickly by law because food is not something that can wait for people who do not always know where their next meal is coming from. The suit, brought by NCLEJ and Nebraska Appleseed, alleges that thousands of needy Nebraska residents have waited longer than the legal timeframes for receiving food stamps, and requests that the state comply with federal law. Read more

 

Gina Mannix Tapped as NCLEJ Interim Executive Director

-Posted August 2014

Mary R. (Gina) Mannix has been elected by the Board of Directors as Interim Executive Director of NCLEJ. She will serve in this position until a new Executive Director is on board. Gina began her career at NCLEJ as an intern and has served as Program Director/Senior Attorney for many years. In announcing her appointment, Henry Freedman said that hiring Gina was “one of my first and best decisions as Executive Director. I am confident that she will provide exemplary leadership to NCLEJ during its transition.” Read more

 

NCLEJ’s Greg Bass and Marc Cohan Presented at the NLADA Litigation and Advocacy Directors’ Conference in Austin, TX

-Posted July 2014

Earlier this month, NCLEJ’s Greg Bass, along with attorneys from Greater Boston Legal Services and the Northwest Justice Project, presented on advocacy with state welfare agencies under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Marc Cohan, along with colleagues from the National Health Law Program and AARP, presented on protecting wins achieved in consent decrees. The National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Litigation and Advocacy Directors’ Conference is a national gathering of experienced advocacy leaders designed to foster peer interaction and learning on the most important issues affecting legal aid programs and the communities they serve.

Greg Bass

 

NCLEJ Successfully Fought Improper Barriers for NYS Family Day Care Providers

-Posted July 2014

For low-income families, state-regulated family day care provides affordable child care options so that parents are able to earn a living. NCLEJ successfully argued before a New York State appeals court that local zoning laws that would have effectively barred state-approved family day care are unenforceable. Following the victory, NCLEJ continued to advocate for family day care providers and won a commitment from the town board to refund fees to our client and all other day care providers who paid to get a local permit. Read more

 

NCLEJ and EJC Lawsuit Helps Thousands; New Order Imposes New Requirements on Suffolk County (NY)

-Posted July 2014

Under a revised settlement agreement signed by the federal court in July 2014, the Suffolk County (NY) Department of Social Services must meet strict time requirements for processing food stamp and Medicaid applications that are in combination with an application for cash public assistance. The revised settlement recognizes processing times for food stamps and Medicaid stand-alone applications have improved significantly since plaintiffs filed a Motion for Contempt in 2012, but that more is required before the case will be dismissed. NCLEJ and Empire Justice Center reached the revised settlement in a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of thousands of needy Suffolk County residents in 2008. Read more

 

Hot Off the Presses: NCLEJ's Summer Newsletter
-Posted June 2014

 

Federal Court Approves Class Action Settlement Requiring Niagara County (NY) to Provide Benefits Faster

-Posted June 2014

On June 17th, 2014, Judge Arcara of Western District of New York entered an order approving the settlement in McCoy v. Restaino, a case filed by NCLEJ and the Western New York Law Center in July 2013 on behalf of residents of Niagara County who have applied, or are applying, for food stamps and/or cash public assistance. The settlement requires the County to provide benefits to eligible families within the required time limits. NCLEJ’s Jenny Pelaez and Joe Kelemen, Director, WNYLC and Katherine Ellis, WNYLC intern (pictured here) appeared before Judge Richard J. Arcara on June 17, 2014. The Court found the settlement fair, adequate, and reasonable and approved it the same day. Read more

 

Congratulations, Henry Freedman and Steve Cutler!

-Posted May 2014

Jennifer Selendy, Cassandra Barham, Steve Kass, Paul Dodyk and Henry Freedman	Steve Cutler and Marianne Lake

On May 22nd, retiring NCLEJ Executive Director Henry Freedman and JPMorgan Chase Executive Vice President and General Counsel Steve Cutler were honored at NCLEJ’s Benefit Awards Dinner at Chelsea Piers. Thanks to all who made the dinner a great success—nearly $1 million was raised to support NCLEJ’s work to promote fairness and dignity for those in need!

 

Federal Government Improves Standards for Accessible Temporary Housing After Disasters

-Posted May 2014

On May 7, 2014, the federal government issued a final rule requiring that, after a disaster, five percent of the units at temporary housing sites be accessible to people with disabilities, and at least ten percent of the "unit pads" at temporary housing sites be compatible with an accessible trailer. In 2012, NCLEJ testified orally and submitted written testimony to the federal agency responsible for developing accessibility standards for FEMA’s post-disaster housing. Countless people with disabilities affected by future disasters will be more likely to get accessible temporary housing once the agency adopts the rule. Read more

 

NCLEJ Launches “EJ Coffee Break” Blog

-Posted May 2014

NCLEJ is proud to introduce the Economic Justice Coffee Break (EJ Coffee Break), a new bi-weekly blog inspired by our commitment to promoting economic justice across the country. Each EJ Coffee Break post will discuss an issue concerning poverty, race, gender, class and justice. Check out the first post “Reproductive Justice is Economic Justice” here and be sure to Like us on Facebook so you never miss a post!

 

Federal Court Settlement Requires NYC Housing Authority to Fix Rampant Mold and Moisture Problems in Public Housing

-Posted April 2014

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) must address rampant and severe mold and moisture problems in its apartments more quickly and thoroughly as a result of an agreement approved by the federal court in Baez v. NYCHA, a lawsuit brought by NCLEJ and the Natural Resources Defense Council on behalf of public housing residents with asthma. NYCHA housing is home to 400,000 New Yorkers, and its many residents with asthma are particularly vulnerable to the ill health effects of mold and moisture. Under the agreement, NYCHA must respond to mold and moisture complaints within strict time frames. Read more

 

NCLEJ Lawsuit Challenges Failure to Provide Food Stamps to Low-Income Georgians in a Timely Manner

-Posted April 2014

Thousands of eligible low-income Georgia households face administrative hurdles in the food stamp application process and do not get food stamps when they should. This case, filed in March 2014, challenges the State’s failure to process initial and renewal applications and provide benefits to eligible households in a timely fashion as required by federal food stamp law. The case also challenges the State’s denial notices for failing to meet constitutional due process standards. Read more

 

NCLEJ and WNYLC Achieve Revised Settlement Imposing New Requirements on Erie County

-Posted April 2014

Under a revised settlement agreement approved by the federal court in March 2014, the Erie County (NY) Department of Social Services must, within six months, meet strict time requirements for processing food stamp and cash assistance applications for needy families. The revised settlement was reached in a class action lawsuit filed by NCLEJ and the Western New York Law Center in 2006 on behalf of thousands of applicants and originally settled in 2008. The revised settlement recognizes processing times have improved significantly since the case was filed but that more is required before the case will be dismissed. Read more

 

NCLEJ Launches Search for Executive Director

-Posted March 2014

The NCLEJ Board of Directors is conducting a national search for a new leader. Reporting to NCLEJ’s Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be based in New York and will lead an experienced and mission-driven staff. The successful candidate will have the great privilege and opportunity to build upon a powerful legacy of legal advocacy on behalf of low income individuals and families, and the exciting challenge of enhancing and evolving the NCLEJ ’s programs to address most effectively the causes of deepening poverty in communities across the country. Read more

 

NCLEJ's May 22nd Awards Dinner to Honor Stephen Cutler and Henry Freedman

-Posted February 2014

Freedman Fund for Due Process Established at NCLEJ

-Posted February 2014

Henry Freedman has devoted his career to fighting for fairness and dignity for low-income people dealing with government agencies. To make sure this work can continues after he retires, he has established the Freedman Fund for Due Process at NCLEJ to preserve the legacy of Goldberg v. Kelly. Donations to the Freedman Fund will honor the legacy of Henry Freedman and support NCLEJ's efforts to ensure that that low-income people are treated fairly and with dignity. You can make a tax deductible donation to the Freedman Fund here and see more information on the Fund here.

 

Henry Freedman to Step Down as NCLEJ Executive Director

-Posted January 2014

After more than four decades of extraordinary leadership as Executive Director of NCLEJ, Henry Freedman has announced that he will retire this summer. Henry is fully committed to helping find a successor who can ensure that NCLEJ will carry on the great work that he has begun. NCLEJ's Board of Directors is implementing a transition plan and will commence a national search for a new Executive Director. Henry will remain the dedicated leader of NCLEJ during the transition. NCLEJ’s Board and staff look forward to joining with Henry’s friends and colleagues to celebrate Henry and his wonderful leadership at NCLEJ’s annual dinner on May 22, 2014, through the launch of the Freedman Fund for Due Process, and at events throughout the year. Read more

 

Observations on Legal Services, NCLEJ, and the 50th Anniversary of the War on Poverty

-Posted January 2014

On the 50th Anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s launch of the War on Poverty (January 8, 1964), we celebrate the fantastic work of the legal services lawyers, paralegals, and advocates working in programs, created at that time, who are making a difference in so many lives today. If it were not for their efforts, poverty currently would be far worse than it is. NCLEJ is proud to be a part of that creation a half century ago, and to be doing all we can to make life better for those we serve. See further thoughts from NCLEJ Executive Director Henry Freedman here.

 

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