The Rural Law Center of New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit legal services organization that serves low income rural New Yorkers.
The Rural Law Center of New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit legal assistance organization which was incorporated in 1996 with the generous support of IOLA (Interest on Lawyer Accounts) Fund and the New York Bar Foundation.
The Rural Law Center of New York, Inc. is committed to focusing attention through our legal system and government institutions on the needs of low-income, rural New Yorkers. The Rural Law Center was established to meet a pressing need recognized by civil legal services attorneys practicing in New York's rural regions.
Specifically, that is the need to address legal issues which are characteristic of rural poverty by using common strategies, such as representing clients in impact cases, increasing public awareness and informing policy makers of the needs of rural, low-income New Yorkers.
NORTH COUNTRY CONFLICT RESOLUTION SERVICES (NCCRS). NCCRS is a program of the Rural Law Center of New York, Inc. The organization is staffed by dispute resolution professionals and certified community volunteers, and is part of the statewide Community Dispute Resolution Centers Program administered by the New York State Unified Court System. The goal of NCCRS is to assist individuals and communities in northern New York to resolve disputes in a peaceful, non-adversarial setting.
CIVIL APPEALS PRO BONO PROGRAM. The Rural Law Center of New York in collaboration with the New York State Bar Association Committee on Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction, is participating in a program that will provide pro bono representation in appeals for selected cases.
RURAL SENIOR WORKSHOPS. In collaboration with individual, rural county Offices for the Aging, Senior Nutrition Sites and Albany Law School, the Rural Law Center travels to different locations statewide and provides free workshops and pro-se clinics for low income seniors. At rural community centers and nutrition sites, seniors are presented a "consumer friendly" seminar on critical legal issues. The Center provides material and forms and ends with a pro-se clinic for those attending.
KINSHIP CARE. There are thousands of children in the rural areas of New York State being raised by relatives, many of whom are grandparents. Any relative, other than a parent, who is the primary caregiver is providing what is known as Kinship Care. These relatives who assume care for these children often lack authority to make important decisions concerning these children. They often have limited knowledge of the financial, legal, and health care services available to assist them. The Rural Law Center has entered into a model partnership with a Department of Social Services that provides assistance to these grandparents or relatives in completing the necessary paperwork and petitions in gaining the legal right to make decisions and access services for the children in their care.
COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION. The Rural Law Center provides training services in a wide range of areas. Training sessions are designed to specifically address legal issues critical to low-income individuals in New York's rural counties, as well as, to rural service providers.
