Legal Aid & Record Relief
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS)
Brooklyn · Queens
Free court-appointed defense in criminal, family and immigration matters (Brooklyn and Queens), plus civil advocacy, social work, and the Reentry Speaks support group.
Legal Aid & Record Relief in Queens
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.
Queens has fewer local listings than Manhattan or Brooklyn, so the citywide services below, many of which work by phone, fill much of the gap.
5 services based in Queens, plus 97 citywide
Based in Queens
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.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Justice Innovation - Queens Community Justice Center
Queens
Offers alternatives to incarceration, youth programs and social services for people with cases in Queens courts.
Family & Reunification
Community Mediation Services (CMS)
Queens
Provides a network of mediation and conflict resolution programs to individuals, youth, and families in NYC. Visitation/custody and divorce mediation offered on a sliding fee scale. Other services include court diversion programs, therapeutic interventions, specialized educational programs, and school-based services.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Queens Defenders
Queens
Public defense and community programs for people charged with crimes in Queens.
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.