Legal Aid & Record Relief
Legal Action Center (LAC)
Manhattan
Free legal help with rap sheets, Certificates of Relief, sealing, job/housing denials, licensing, and discrimination tied to a record, drug use, SUD or HIV.
Legal Aid & Record Relief in Manhattan
Legal help for reentry covers record sealing, certificates of relief and good conduct, parole and probation questions, housing court, family court and the immigration consequences of a conviction. Most services here are free for people who can't afford a lawyer.
New York's Clean Slate Act, in effect since November 2024, seals many eligible convictions automatically, generally 3 years after sentencing or release for misdemeanors and 8 years for felonies. Not every conviction qualifies and older records are being sealed in stages, so ask a legal aid provider where yours stands.
Tip: request a copy of your own criminal record from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services before your first appointment. Fee waivers are available, and it saves time.
Many citywide organizations also have their main offices in Manhattan, so a short subway ride can widen your options.
72 services based in Manhattan, plus 97 citywide
Based in Manhattan
Employment & Job Training
Community Service Society (CSS) - Next Door Project
Manhattan
Hotline helping people with conviction histories request their own records, repair inaccurate rap sheets, and apply for Certificates of Good Conduct or Certificates of Relief from Disabilities, which can ease licensing and employment barriers.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New Economy Project - NYC Financial Justice Hotline
Manhattan
Runs the NYC Financial Justice Hotline, providing free legal assistance to low-income NYC residents on financial justice issues such as debt collection, credit reports, unfair banking practices, and predatory lending.
Family & Reunification
Safe Horizon
Manhattan
Support for victims of crime and abuse: shelter, advocacy, counseling, legal services and supervised visitation; welcomes all survivors regardless of immigration status. Hotline 800.621.4673.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Community Service Society (CSS)
Manhattan
Free advice and legal representation for reentry barriers in employment, licensing, housing and civic engagement, plus health insurance, financial and income support help.
Family & Reunification
NYC ACS - Office of Advocacy
Manhattan
Information about rights for parents who had to place a child in foster care while incarcerated; incarcerated parents can call collect at 212.619.1309.
Family & Reunification
Rising Ground - Steps to End Family Violence
Manhattan
Runs the Criminalized Survivors Program, an alternative-to-incarceration program for survivors of intimate partner and gender-based violence who were criminalized for surviving or resisting abuse. Offers individual and group support, legal advocacy, and court accompaniment throughout the survivor's open criminal case.
Benefits & Financial Help
VOLS Benefits Law Project
Manhattan
Helps low-income New Yorkers with unemployment insurance and SCRIE/DRIE rent freeze benefits. Benefits hotline 347.521.5720.
Family & Reunification
Center for Family Representation (CFR)
Manhattan · Bronx · Queens · Staten Island
Free legal and social work help for parents contacted by ACS, aiming to keep children at home; also represents youth 7-17 facing criminal charges.
Mental Health & Counseling
Crime Victims Treatment Center (CVTC)
Manhattan
Medical, legal and psychological support for survivors of sexual assault and interpersonal violence: crisis intervention, trauma therapy, legal advocacy. Legal helpline 212.683.0605.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Innocence Project
Manhattan
Represents people seeking post-conviction DNA testing to prove their innocence, taking only cases with untested physical evidence capable of proving innocence, for crimes committed in the US outside a handful of excluded states. Accepts only mailed intake forms; phone and email applications are not accepted.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Lambda Legal
Manhattan
Provides a Help Desk with information and resources for LGBTQI+ people and people living with HIV who have faced discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or HIV status. Help Desk analysts are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice; walk-ins are not accepted.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) - Certificates Project, Sealing Project, & Project Restore
Manhattan
Helps people with conviction records apply for Certificates of Relief from Disabilities and Certificates of Good Conduct to reduce barriers to employment, housing, and civic participation. Project Restore provides free representation to people with conviction records who were denied vocational licenses, including appeals before agency commissioners and, when warranted, the New York State Supreme Court.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) - Civil Appeals Project
Manhattan
Provides free representation to eligible litigants who have filed civil appeals in the Appellate Division-First Judicial Department, covering appeals of Article 78 decisions on state or local agency actions and family law appeals such as child or spousal support and matrimonial disputes.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) - Volunteer Lawyer for the Day Consumer Debt Program
Manhattan
Provides free in-court legal help to people being sued by creditors for credit card or other debt in New York County Civil Court, including document review, advice, and limited-scope representation for self-represented litigants during court appearances.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
Manhattan
Free civil legal services and financial counseling: benefits, tenants' rights, consumer protection, immigration, family and employment law.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Peace Institute
Manhattan
Free mediation, restorative justice services and training for community, housing, co-parenting, civil and criminal court, youth and special education disputes.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYCLA Legal Counseling Project
Manhattan
Free phone consultations with an attorney on family, landlord/tenant, employment and tax law; interpreter services available.
Family & Reunification
Sanctuary for Families
Manhattan
Serves survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and gender-based violence with culturally sensitive counseling, case management, crisis intervention, legal representation, and confidentially located shelter for women, men, and families. Also runs a career readiness and technology training program, and, through the EMPOWER Center with NYC Health + Hospitals-Gouverneur, provides resources for survivors of sex trafficking and people in the sex trade.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Urban Justice Center
Manhattan
Legal services and advocacy through eight projects (domestic violence, mental health, safety net, street vendors and more), with clinics on housing, immigration and family law.
Family & Reunification
Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) - Incarcerated Mothers Law Project
Manhattan
Provides legal services to incarcerated mothers at Rikers Island, Taconic, Albion, and Bedford Hills correctional facilities, helping them maintain contact with their children and understand foster care and family court proceedings, including adoption and termination of parental rights. Also helps mothers plan for post-incarceration reunification with their children.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Youth Represent
Manhattan
Free legal services for system-impacted youth: job and license denials due to convictions, public housing denials, school suspensions, summonses and low-level misdemeanors, family court, and RAP sheet corrections.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York
Manhattan
Offers an attorney referral service and a free weekly legal clinic on Tuesday evenings at the LGBT Center in Manhattan, staffed by volunteer attorneys who give general guidance and legal referrals but not representation.
Housing & Shelter
Metropolitan Council on Housing
Manhattan
Tenant hotline and free walk-in Tenants' Rights clinics (Oct-Jun) for landlord-tenant disputes; help forming a tenants' association.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
The Exoneration Initiative (EXI)
Manhattan
Free legal help for wrongfully convicted people in New York on cases without DNA evidence (mistaken eyewitnesses, false confessions, police misconduct, perjury).
Family & Reunification
Alliance of Families for Justice (AFJ)
Manhattan
Supports families of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people: virtual family circles, free counseling, free legal help on conditions of confinement, visitation, parole prep and clemency, plus youth and healing programs.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Parole Preparation Project
Manhattan
Trains volunteers to work closely with people incarcerated in NYS prisons who are serving parole-eligible life sentences, helping them prepare for upcoming parole board hearings, with priority given to those 8-12 months from their next hearing. After release, participants can join Survivors of the System (SOS), a peer support and advocacy network.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
ACLU - Reproductive Freedom Project
Manhattan
The Reproductive Freedom Project advocates for incarcerated pregnant people to receive reproductive health services. Write for a Know Your Rights fact sheet.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Advocates for Children (AFC)
Manhattan
Advocates and works on behalf of children who are at risk for school-based discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, disability, race, ethnicity, immigrant or English language learner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, or involvement in the foster care or juvenile court systems.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE)
Manhattan
Advocates for the legal and political rights of trans people.
Healthcare
African Services Committee
Manhattan
Health care, immigration legal help and food pantry for African immigrants.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Avenues for Justice
Manhattan
Alternative-to-incarceration program for court-involved youth with court advocacy, tutoring and mentoring.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC
Manhattan
A faith-based agency that provides a broad range of services to immigrants and their families. Direct legal services include Green Card renewals, family-based petitions, DACA renewals, FOIA requests, VAWA petition, U visa, and citizenship applications.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Appellate Litigation
Manhattan
Appeals for people convicted in Manhattan and the Bronx who can't afford a lawyer.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Appellate Litigation (CAL)
Manhattan · Bronx
Represents people appealing criminal convictions from Manhattan and the Bronx.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Justice Innovation - Harlem Community Justice Center
Manhattan
Community justice center in East Harlem offering housing court support, youth programs and reentry services.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Justice Innovation - Midtown Community Court
Manhattan
Community court offering social services, job readiness and alternatives to jail for people with low-level cases in Midtown Manhattan.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Chosen Family Law Center
Manhattan
Offers free legal assistance to low-income LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and chosen family communities in New York.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
City Bar Justice Center - Veterans Assistance Project
Manhattan
Provides veterans and their survivors facing systemic barriers in NYC with pro bono legal assistance on issues related to their claims for benefits from the VA. Veterans and their survivors may call to have their cases screened and, as appropriate, invited to a monthly legal clinic.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Columbia Human Rights Law Review - A Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual (JLM)
Manhattan
A handbook of legal rights and procedures designed for use by people in prisons and jails. JLM chapters are downloadable for free on the website.
Education & GED
Exalt Youth
Brooklyn · Manhattan
Education and paid internships for court-involved youth.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Exodus Transitional Community - Women & Girls Project
Manhattan
A trauma-informed reentry program for women and girls ages 15–24 who have experienced incarceration, court involvement, or systemic trauma. Provide case management and workshops that focus on emotional wellness, leadership development, civic engagement, and career readiness.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS)
Manhattan
Provides counseling, therapeutic and recreational groups, referrals to housing, legal and educational resources, transitional housing, court advocacy, and peer mentoring for girls and women ages 12–29 who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and/ or domestic trafficking.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Immigrant Defense Project
Manhattan
Helpline and resources on immigration consequences of criminal cases and ICE Know Your Rights.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
Manhattan
Public defender for Northern Manhattan: criminal, family and immigration defense plus civil help.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (NDS)
Manhattan
Holistic public defense covering criminal, family and civil legal problems for people in Northern Manhattan.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Center for Law and Justice - Legal Services Program
Manhattan
Provides free legal services to indigent deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing New Yorkers on a range of civil matters, including housing, family, public benefits, student loans, immigration, and asylum cases.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)
Manhattan
Civil rights advocacy and litigation; Know Your Rights materials; intake for rights violations.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York County Defender Services
Manhattan
Public defender in Manhattan criminal courts.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York County Defender Services (NYCDS)
Manhattan
Public defender office representing people charged with crimes in Manhattan.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)
Manhattan
Disability, health justice and immigrant rights legal advocacy.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR)
Manhattan
Immigration legal services and education in Washington Heights.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Board of Correction (BOC)
Manhattan
An oversight board that regulates, monitors, and inspects NYC jails. If you are within the NYC jail system, contact to file a complaint.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB)
Manhattan
Independent agency that investigates complaints of NYPD misconduct.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
Manhattan
Provides assistance to consumers, workers, and business owners in NYC. Information on workers’ rights, job searching, free oneon-one financial counseling, tax prep, and a guide to business licenses is available.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ)
Manhattan
Supports a wide range of programs for New Yorkers impacted by the criminal legal system including alternatives to incarceration, housing, employment, and legal services, health care, neighborhood engagement, and more.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Office of the Appellate Defender
Manhattan
Appellate defense and reentry social work for people convicted in Manhattan and the Bronx.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Office of the Appellate Defender (OAD)
Manhattan · Bronx
Handles criminal appeals and post-conviction work, including the Reinvestigation Project for wrongful convictions.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Possibility Project - Youth Justice Program
Manhattan
A performing arts program open to NYC youth ages 15–21 who are or who have been involved in the legal system. Participants meet Mondays and Wednesdays during after-school hours from August through December.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP)
Manhattan
Advocacy campaign for parole and release of older incarcerated people; connects families to organizing.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Safe Horizon - Streetwork Project Drop-In Centers
Manhattan
Operates drop-in centers which provide free services to homeless youth up to age 25, including emergency services such as crisis housing, hot meals, showers, clothing, medical services, legal assistance, individual and group counseling, HIV prevention materials and testing, and assistance obtaining public benefits...
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Safe Passage Project
Manhattan
Offers help with the legal needs of indigent immigrant youth living in NYC. Provides representation for unaccompanied minors in immigration court and resources for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum, as well as other possible immigration alternatives for children.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP)
Manhattan
Legal help for trans, intersex and gender-nonconforming people, including discrimination in the shelter system.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
TakeRoot Justice
Manhattan
Legal help and research for tenants, workers and community groups.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Team TLC NYC
Manhattan
The Kindness Center provides resources and services for Asylum Seekers who have been in NYC five years or less, including legal assistance, enrollment in English classes, stress management, job readiness, Know Your Rights, reduced fare OMNY cards, health insurance information, school assistance, and free...
Healthcare
The Door
Manhattan
One-stop youth center with health care, legal help, education, job training and meals.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
The Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook
Manhattan
A free resource for people in prison who wish to file a federal lawsuit addressing poor conditions in prison or abuse by prison staff. Visit the website to place an order for a currently incarcerated friend or loved one.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
The Ladies of Hope Ministries (the LOHM)
Manhattan
Offers programs for women impacted by the criminal legal system. The Rapid Rehousing (RRH) program in NYC provides housing support and services to women fleeing domestic violence and those impacted by the criminal legal system; pairs shortto medium-term rental assistance with comprehensive case management.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Unlocal
Manhattan
A community-centered non-profit organization that provides direct immigration legal representation and community education to NYC’s undocumented immigrant communities.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Workers Defense League (WDL)
Manhattan
A nonprofit workers’ rights organization that specializes in helping people who have been denied unemployment insurance. Also conducts trainings for unions and other organizations about unemployment insurance rules, including recent important changes in law, and the hearing process.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Worth Rises
Manhattan
Advocacy and research against prison profiteering (phone call costs, commissary, etc.).
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Youth Justice Network
Manhattan
A community-based organization serving young people ages 16–24, including those who have been incarcerated, are on probation, or otherwise court-involved. Each participant is paired with a Youth Advocate who acts as counselor, mentor, and coach.
Citywide services
These serve people from every borough, often by phone, online or at more than one office.
Housing & Shelter
Housing Court Answers
Citywide
Information for tenants, landlords and advocates: housing court procedures, landlord-tenant rules, code violations, referrals to free legal help and back-rent assistance.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
LawHelpNY
Citywide
Online directory of free legal services across New York with plain-language rights information, court info, and live chat Mon-Thu 9am-9pm.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Legal Services NYC
Citywide
Free civil legal services in housing, benefits and immigration, plus representation for conviction-history employment discrimination.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Mobilization for Justice
Citywide
Provides free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers on housing, civil rights, disability rights, aging rights, bankruptcy, tax, consumer, employment, government benefits, and kinship care matters, including advice, counsel, and representation to help people with past criminal records re-enter the workforce.
Family & Reunification
NYC HRA - Office of Child Support Services (OCSS)
Citywide
Help with child support orders, license suspensions, lowering or eliminating child support debt owed to the government, paternity, DNA testing, mediation, and free financial counseling.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (PLSNY)
Citywide
Provides free legal services to people incarcerated in NYS DOCCS prisons on matters including mental health and medical care, discrimination, disciplinary hearings, excessive force, conditions of confinement, sentence calculation, and immigration. A Pre-Release and Re-Entry Program (PREP) offers counseling and planning for people within 6-18 months of release, and an immigration unit represents noncitizens in removal proceedings. Case acceptance is decided individually and does not extend to county, federal, or out-of-state facilities.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
The Legal Aid Society
Citywide
Free legal representation and advice on criminal, civil and juvenile issues: policing, bail, benefits, housing, immigration, parole, sealing and more.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Community Justice Connect
Citywide
Free legal information, assistance and referrals from trained non-lawyer volunteers supervised by an attorney: benefits, employment, housing, family, immigration, health, divorce, domestic violence.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Bar Legal Referral Service
Citywide
Referrals to screened, experienced lawyers; initial consultation of up to 30 minutes for $35 or free depending on case type.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Public Access Law Libraries
Citywide
Operates public law libraries in each borough where people can access legal research materials; librarians cannot give legal advice, interpret legal materials, or draft legal language. Remote reference help is also available through the Ask a Law Librarian online chat, text, or email service.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Board of Elections in New York City
Citywide
Handles voter registration for NYC residents, including people whose voting rights have been restored after parole, and provides voter registration forms, absentee ballots, and registration information by phone.
Family & Reunification
NYC Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence - Family Justice Centers (FJC)
Citywide
Provides free and confidential legal, counseling, and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence, gender-based violence, elder abuse, and sex trafficking, with immediate assistance regardless of language, immigration, or economic status. Centers operate in all five boroughs.