City Bar Fund Board Welcomes New Officers and Members

July 3, 2024

New York, July 3, 2024 – The Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc. (“City Bar Fund”), the 501(c)(3) charitable affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, has welcomed new officers and members to its Board of Directors. The City Bar Fund engages New York City lawyers across four programs – the City Bar Justice Center, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and the Lawyer Assistance Program – to advance social justice and well-being for the public and within the legal profession. 

City Bar Justice Center to Operate Pro Se Legal Assistance Clinic for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

June 3, 2024

New York, New York, June 4, 2024 – The Board of Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (“S.D.N.Y.” or “Southern District”) has selected the City Bar Justice Center – the pro bono-supported, nonprofit civil legal aid affiliate of the New York City Bar Association – to operate … Continue reading City Bar Justice Center to Operate Pro Se Legal Assistance Clinic for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York →

The New York Bar Foundation Presents City Bar Justice Center Grant

May 21, 2024

The New York Bar Foundation recently presented a grant of $15,000 to the City Bar Justice Center. The grant will be used to support their Intergenerational Asset Preservation Initiative. 

Statement of City Bar Justice Center Executive Director Kurt M. Denk Opposing Governor’s Proposed “IOLA Sweep” in NYS Executive Budget That Would Put Civil Legal Aid Further at Risk

February 6, 2024

New York, February 6, 2024 – A recent proposal by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to divert $100 million in IOLA funds to the State General Fund risks an essential support for civil legal aid for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and should be withdrawn.  As recently reported by the New York Legal Services Coalition, even … Continue reading Statement of City Bar Justice Center Executive Director Kurt M. Denk Opposing Governor’s Proposed “IOLA Sweep” in NYS Executive Budget That Would Put Civil Legal Aid Further at Risk →

City Bar Justice Center to Honor Freshfields and UBS with 2024 City Bar Justice Awards for Pro Bono Service and Community Impact

January 25, 2024

New York, January 25, 2024 – The City Bar Justice Center’s 19th Annual Gala, Pro Bono for Our World, will honor Freshfields and UBS – two leading global firms with growing business footprints and community impact in New York City – on April 3, 2024, at the New York City Bar Association. Freshfields and UBS will receive 2024 City Bar Justice Awards for … Continue reading City Bar Justice Center to Honor Freshfields and UBS with 2024 City Bar Justice Awards for Pro Bono Service and Community Impact →

City Bar Justice Center Announces Honorees of its 2023 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards

October 10, 2023

New York, October 10, 2023 – The City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2023 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards. Honoring volunteer attorneys who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to justice, the awards will be bestowed at … Continue reading City Bar Justice Center Announces Honorees of its 2023 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards →

City Bar Justice Center to Honor BNY Mellon and Mayer Brown with 2023 City Bar Justice Awards for Pro Bono Service

March 16, 2023

The City Bar Justice Center’s 18th Annual Gala, The Power of Pro Bono, will be held on April 4, 2023, from 6:00pm-8:30pm, at the New York City Bar Association. BNY Mellon and Mayer Brown will receive 2023 City Bar Justice Awards for their commitment to promoting racial, social, and economic justice through a range of pro bono legal services and other philanthropic commitments.

The City Bar Justice Center and Covenant House Launch Initiative to Support Migrant Youth in NYC

October 12, 2022

The City Bar Justice Center’s Immigrant Justice Project is pleased to launch its NYC Migrant Youth Initiative, a partnership with Covenant House New York supported by a growing cohort of Justice Center pro bono partners to address the urgent legal needs of the growing number of migrant youth arriving in New York City from the U.S.-Mexico border.

City Bar Justice Center Announces Honorees of its 2022 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards

New York, October 12, 2022 – The City Bar Justice Center (Justice Center), a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award. Bestowed on exceptional volunteer attorneys across the Justice Center’s civil justice projects, the awards will be presented at an in-person celebration on Tuesday, October 25, 2022

City Bar Justice Center to Honor Deloitte and Kramer Levin with 2022 City Bar Justice Awards for Pro Bono Service to Veterans

March 30, 2022

The City Bar Justice Center’s (Justice Center) 17th Annual Gala, “Serving Those Who Serve,” will be held on April 6, 2022 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at the New York City Bar Association. Deloitte and Kramer Levin will receive the 2022 City Bar Justice Awards for their extraordinary pro bono leadership and commitment to public service.

Annual Law Secretaries’ dinner celebrates distinguished legal service

June 17, 2024

Hon. Yael Wilkofsky is a judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York, currently sitting in New York County Family Court. She has a distinguished career in public service, including roles at the Innocence Project, the City Bar Justice Center and the Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Wilkofsky served as the principal law clerk to Hon. Cynthia S. Kern for more than 12 years before before being elected to the Civil Court in Novemeber 2023. She now presides over child abuse and neglect proceedings.

SDNY Taps Nonprofit To Run Clinic For Pro Se Litigants

June 4, 2024

The City Bar Justice Center announced Tuesday that it has been enlisted to take over the Southern District of New York’s 8-year-old legal assistance clinic’s services for self-represented litigants, as many low income Americans face the civil legal system alone…

Amini LLC Promotes Jeffrey Chubak to Member

May 16, 2024

Jeffrey has presented to the City Bar Justice Center on the issue of student loan dischargeability and has been honored by the NYC Bankruptcy Assistance Project for pro bono assistance provided individual debtors. Chubak joined Amini LLC in 2019 and has consistently achieved strong results in commercial litigation for clients, handling a broad spectrum of bankruptcy matters and enforcement work. His involvement in cryptocurrency cases, which includes representing blockchain technology companies in bankruptcy cases and major creditors in crypto exchange bankruptcies, has established his reputation as an eminent attorney in the field

Residents of New York’s shelters need internet access to use critical services

April 11, 2024

Let’s face it, in order for people to access services that would get them out of shelters and into stable, permanent housing, they must be able to get online. In New York City, where we have more shelters than any other part of the state, the City Bar Justice Center found that 75% of people surveyed in shelters said that more regular access to the internet would improve their ability to find jobs, housing and other benefits. Online access to these resources has increased dramatically since the pandemic, but the connectivity of shelters has not kept up at all. If we want to fully address New York’s homelessness crisis, we can’t ignore the role of high-speed internet.

How organizations are meeting the needs of homeless New Yorkers and migrants

March 27, 2024

To ensure the streamlining and effective delivery of services, shelter programs are carefully designed to provide critical support for different populations with social services staff working closely with each household to help them stabilize their lives. At sanctuary sites, in addition to wraparound supports, DHS and not-for-profit staff are trained to address the unique needs of asylum seekers, which includes making vital connections to immigration, healthcare, education supports, and other city resources as part of a strongly coordinated interagency response to the humanitarian crisis.

City Bar challenges proposed $100 million IOLA Fund Diversion

February 14, 2024

Kurt Denk, executive director of the City Bar Justice Center, pointed out the human impact of the proposed IOLA sweep, which threatens to dismantle established services essential to New Yorkers lacking legal representation. “The risk of the governor’s proposed ‘IOLA Sweep’ for IOLA-funded organizations like the City Bar Justice Center and 80 other IOLA grantees across New York State is a deeply human one because it risks unsettling longstanding services that provide those essentials of life to our neighbors who cannot afford legal help,” said Denk.

BigLaw Slams Hochul Plan To Divert Client Trust Interest Cash

February 12, 2024

A long list of BigLaw attorneys, firm leaders and legal groups have urged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to reconsider her plan to divert $100 million in interest earned on lawyer trust accounts that typically goes toward legal aid for low-income New Yorkers, calling the move “misguided” and cautioning that it could create “an existential threat” to civil legal services. A slew of social service agencies, veterans groups, healthcare providers, concerned citizens and legal organizations — including Access to Justice Brooklyn, Community Service Society of New York and the City Bar Justice Center — also signed onto a separate letter criticizing the plan.

Little Oversight, Deals Signed in the Dark: How Speculators Cash In When NYC Homeowners Die Without Wills

July 26, 2023

Lawmakers, court authorities and city agencies have failed to safeguard the estates of homeowners who die without wills, threatening the transfer of Black and Latino generational wealth. K. Scott Kohanowski, director of the Homeowner Stability Initiative at the City Bar Justice Center, says the predation of homes without wills is “the biggest problem that nobody has heard of.” “It’s something that flies under the radar. It definitely results in a loss of homeownership, especially within communities of color,” he said. “That’s been a huge issue in New York City because there’s been a large flight of Black residents… just because housing is expensive and it’s so difficult to find.”

Mayor Adams Announces Asylum Application Help Center

June 21, 2023

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the Asylum Application Help Center, which will offer thousands of asylum seekers assistance completing and filing asylum applications as they seek a new life in the United States. “This crisis calls for tenacious professionalism to help those striving to make a new home in New York,” said Bret Parker, executive director, New York City Bar Association and Kurt M. Denk, executive director, City Bar Justice Center. “Our organizations and others like ours have seen the difference that pro bono legal services can make in times of emergency, and we’re confident that approach will have an impact here as well.”

How New Yorkers Can Claim Over $17 Billion of Their Lost Money

May 2, 2023

Kayla Freeman, a project coordinator at the legal services organization City Bar Justice Center said she has helped 15 clients locate funds from utilities, old investments and bank dividends just in the past month. However, it’s not always possible to see how much money the state might send you, Freeman warned. “That can be kind of a deterrent sometimes because folks are like, ‘Well, it could be $2 or $10, what does it matter?’” Freeman said. “But it also could be a significant amount that they’re just not aware of.” Freeman works with clients who need help paying down arrears on foreclosed homes, and she has encouraged them to track down unclaimed funds in the hopes of finding an alternate source of income, she said.