Neighborhood Legal Services delivers free legal services to those in need.
Neighborhood Legal Services is a not-for-profit public interest firm providing free legal services to low-income individuals and families in Western New York. Some of our services are free for everyone.
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS) seeks equitable justice by providing access to legal advice, representation, and education to those in our communities who, due to financial vulnerability, disability, discrimination, or abuse, require assistance and protection of their civil legal rights. Serving Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans counties, NLS aims to create the greatest access to the justice system for low-income individuals and those living with disabilities to pursue goals that will increase both the stability and the quality of their lives.
The future will find better lives for our most impoverished, vulnerable, and challenged neighbors because they will be protected by full access to the justice system and will have the civil legal resources to pursue self-sufficiency and address their most basic needs.
The team that would eventually become Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. began in 1965, as part of the Legal Aid Services Corp, the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, with four local offices established in impoverished neighborhoods on Niagara, Eaton and Swan streets in Buffalo and Ridge Road in Lackawanna.
Our mission then was the same as it is now – to provide access to equitable justice under the law, regardless of race or economic background.
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) was created in 1974, providing a private, and not-for-profit entity that was separate from the federal government, but received funding from Congress. With the introduction of the LSC, our three local offices in Buffalo and one in Lackawanna split from the Legal Aid Bureau and united as Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. The newly incorporated organization focused heavily on housing issues and welfare concerns. Not only was NLS the first local group to represent clients in welfare matters, we continue to be the only provider of public benefits legal services in the area! A third unit, focusing on disability law, was added in 1979. In 1978, the NLS neighborhood offices were consolidated to a central location at the Ellicott Square building in downtown Buffalo.
The 1980s saw both ups and downs for Neighborhood Legal Services. As the organization expanded, we were able to begin consolidating specialized units, including Family and Disability. This enabled team members to become experts in their field of law and to provide more targeted and direct service to clients.
The 1990s were marked by huge advances in computer and phone technology, allowing NLS to make improvements in the efficiency and quality of our intake process. In addition to our ongoing support of individuals within our community, NLS also led a number of prominent class action lawsuits to help enact systemic changes throughout WNY with respect to fair housing, discrimination, and access to services.
Project Dandelion was launched in 1992, offering support and resources to community members receiving public benefits, with the end goal of self-sufficiency and independence. This effort was a resounding success and included skills workshops, benefits counseling, and mentoring.
In order to make the most effective use of every federal dollar allocated, the Legal Services Corporation began merging and reconfiguring organizations and services across the country. For NLS, this meant that our Buffalo/Erie County offices united with existing organizations in Batavia (Oak Orchard Legal Services) and Niagara Falls (Niagara County Legal Aid Society). These additional teams enabled us to offer services across the five counties in WNY where we continue to do business to this day– Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming.
The 2010s led Neighborhood Legal Services to explore additional services and expand our footprint across WNY.
In 2022, we launched the WNY Eviction Prevention Project, teaming up with partner agencies including Legal Aid, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Center for Elder Law and Justice, the WNY Law Center, and UB School of Law. With the WNY-EPP, we are now able to provide an on-site presence in housing court for many of our service areas, and have a fully-staffed hotline to address additional eviction cases.
In 2023, we opened an office in Lockport, offering an additional location option for clients in Niagara County, to help relieve the stresses caused by the lack of public transportation. In 2024, we opened a second Buffalo office, perfect for walk-in traffic and conveniently located adjacent to several court buildings.
Today, Neighborhood Legal Services is the largest provider of FREE civil legal services in our five county service area, and we continue to fight for equal access to justice for all – one client at a time!
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Gain meaningful experience while providing services to those who need help most.
We are a not-for-profit public interest law firm providing free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals. Reach out if you or someone you care about are in need of support.
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