Justice Center News

The Justice Center News blog features our advocacy on issues affecting low-income New Yorkers today and the latest CBJC happenings.  For press releases, click here. For publications, click here.

Honoring the Spirit of Pride Month: Protecting Vulnerable LGBTQ Homeowners

by Sofia ColosimoJune 16, 2020

June is Pride Month: a time to celebrate the LGBTQ community and commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, during which the New York City LGBTQ community pushed back against pervasive homophobia and systemic persecution from law enforcement. This year, Pride Month has already brought about another necessary and long-overdue victory for the LGBTQ community, as we celebrate the recent landmark United States Supreme Court decision protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Read more

In Solidarity: The City Bar Justice Center Supports Black Communities through Pro Bono Work

by Lynn Kelly, Executive DirectorJune 8, 2020

The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) joins in mourning the recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and other victims of violence resulting from longstanding systemic injustices and the toxic river of white supremacy poisoning our country. These tragic incidents highlight the disproportionate social, economic and civic inequalities to which Black people and people of color are subjected.

Read more

Homeless Need Internet Access to Find a Home: The City Bar Justice Center Documents Lack of Technology in NYC Homeless Shelters – Part 1

by Cheryl LopezMay 20, 2020

The lack of access to technology – specifically Internet access – in homeless shelters severely hampers shelter residents in finding permanent housing, a report by the City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) finds. Further, the report highlights how lack of access to the Internet and technology creates significant academic barriers for homeless students – an issue that is suddenly front and center as schools moved to remote learning during the COVID-19 crisis.

Read more

Change of Plan: A Pro Bono Scholar’s Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

by CBJC Staff

The Scholar’s Perspective: AnnMargaret Shea When I learned about the work of the City Bar Justice Center’s (CBJC) Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw Projects, I knew where I wanted to spend my time as a Pro Bono Scholar. When I was offered a position on these projects, I began to imagine my time working in a … Continue reading Change of Plan: A Pro Bono Scholar’s Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Read more

The Legal Clinic for the Homeless is on a Mission to Support New York City’s Most Vulnerable During COVID-19

by CBJC StaffMay 19, 2020

New Yorkers served by the City Bar Justice Center’s Legal Clinic for the Homeless (LCH) are among the most vulnerable community members who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Since then, LCH has been highly responsive in addressing the immediate needs of their clients, mainly homeless and poverty-stricken New Yorkers in need of essential public assistance benefits to make it through the pandemic.

Read more

What to Do if You Have Not Received the Economic Impact Payment

by Ramona Morel, Esq. and Alexa TovarMay 6, 2020

Many individuals who filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return will be eligible to receive an Economic Impact Payment under the CARES Act. The payments are automatic for most taxpayers, which means that people who filed tax returns in 2018 or 2019 and most seniors and retirees do not need to take any further action to receive their payments.

Read more