No-cost legal clinics available for NYC immigrants

NEW YORK – If you are an immigrant in NYC, free legal clinics are available to help you. At these clinics, you can speak with a lawyer or a supervised law student at no cost. Many clinics help people regardless of immigration status and offer services in multiple languages. Clinics can help with immigration cases, housing issues, work problems, family matters, and other legal questions.

Pro-bono lawyers may have a full case load or have specific requirements for the clients they are able to see at this time. As an alternative, you can consider visiting a legal clinic which may have more opportunities to advise you on your legal issue.

Most of these clinics will require an appointment, so you will need to email or call in advance. 

If you are not sure where to begin, you can call the NYC Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The hotline is run by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and can help you find the right legal clinic for your situation. 

Free, confidential help is available, and asking for help will not affect your immigration status.

Here are free legal clinics in New York City where you can get free legal advice, access to representation, or referrals.

Asian American Bar Association of New York

Partnering with local community organizations, the Asian American Bar Association of New York runs free monthly legal clinics in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Flushing. People can check the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee (PBCS) calendar for details about each scheduled clinic. Interpreters are available.

• Queens pro bono clinic: First Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at AAFE One Flushing Community Center (133-29 41st Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing)
• Manhattan pro bono clinic: Third Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at AAFE Community Center (111 Norfolk Street, Manhattan)
• Brooklyn pro bono clinic: Held bi-monthly on the second Saturday of the month from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at CPC Brooklyn Community Services (4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn)

City Council Member Susan Zhuang’s office

Susan Zhuang’s office offers free legal clinics every Friday at 6514 20th Avenue in Brooklyn. People can call (718) 307-7151 or email District43@council.nyc.gov to make an appointment.

Legal Services NYC

Legal Services NYC runs clinics and study groups to help low-income clients. It has offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. People can call the citywide intake line at (917) 661-4500, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to get scheduled for a local clinic.

LGBT Bar NY 

LGBT Bar NY offers free drop-in legal clinics for the LGBTQ community. The clinic is held on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. at 208 West 13th Street in Manhattan. No appointment is needed, but people should arrive before 5:45 p.m. to make sure they can be helped.

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)

NYLAG runs free legal counseling, including help with immigration issues. It is based in Lower Manhattan and also offers mobile clinics across New York City. People can check their mobile legal help calendar for regular clinic days and locations.

Urban Justice Center

In addition, the Urban Justice Center offers even more clinics that cover domestic violence as well as public benefits, homeless issues, and landlord-tenant problems across New York City. Learn more about those clinics here. 

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