A Rochester nonprofit that provides access to low-cost civil legal services is getting a boost from the state.
On Tuesday, Assemblymembers Harry Bronson (D – NY138) and Jen Lunsford (D – NY135) announced the Telesca Center for Justice would be receiving a $90,000 investment from New York.
The center uses the resources and expertise of four nonprofit law firms — Empire Justice, JustCause, The Legal Aid Society of Rochester (LASROC) and Legal Assistance Western New York (LawNY) — to provide civil legal services to low-income residents in Rochester, Monroe County and the Finger Lakes region.
According to officials, the money will support joint staffing, shared operations, collaborative planning and more across each of the firms.
“The partnership between these four agencies demonstrates the impact of a community-centered justice organization working to ensure the basic American principle that all people – regardless of income – deserve and should receive affordable, fair and equal legal representation in both civil and defense matters,” said Bronson in a statement.
“Navigating the legal system can be difficult and costly, oftentimes deterring low-income people from accessing services, resources and justice to which they are otherwise entitled,” said Lunsford in a statement. “The Telesca Center addresses this challenge by coordinating four agencies to consolidate their resources and maximize their impact.
The Telesca Center for Justice was founded in 2005 and handles matters including immigration, consumer credit and protection, custody, healthcare, bankruptcy, eviction or foreclosure, wage disputes, divorce and more.