Empire Justice Taining Center
Standing Ovations and Special Recognition for 2009 Contributors
January 20, 2010
2009 ended in a blaze of training events, including the delivery and video-taping of 12 substantive law programs. We wish to give special recognition to advocates in our community who are working hard to make high quality training available to legal services advocates and pro bono volunteers in New York. Read More

Empire Justice Center's Legislative Agenda 2009-2011
January 16, 2010
The Summer issue of the Legal Services Journal highlighted many legislative initiatives for 2009-2011 and provided a “Legislative Scorecard” on those initiatives with detailed articles on a broad array of issue areas. This article will review those initiatives and add to the Legislative Scorecard as we move into the New Year. Read More

Empire Justice Training Center Highlights: Training of the Month
Standing Ovations and Special Recognition for 2009 Contributions
January 16, 2010
2009 ended in a blaze of training events, including the delivery and video-taping of 12 substantive law programs. We wish to give special recognition to advocates in our community who are working hard to make high quality training available to legal services advocates and pro bono volunteers in New York. Read More

Empire Justice Joins Advocates to Decry Mid-Year Cuts
November 5, 2009
Press release announcing the press conference organized by New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, the Fiscal Policy Institute, Empire Justice Center and others to talk about alternatives to Governor Paterson's proposed DRP. Read More

Public Assistance Sanctions and People with Disabilities
November 2, 2009
A stark reality of New York’s welfare system is that over time many households have their benefits reduced or terminated as a result of sanctions for alleged non-compliance with the public assistance work rules. Read More

Empire Justice Center's Initial Reaction to Deficit Reduction Plan for 2009-10 State Budget
October 30, 2009
The primary concern is that reductions in services for those who have been most impacted by the recession will ultimately result in pushing more people over the edge into desperation and emergent circumstances that are even more costly for the state – from homeless shelters to emergency rooms and even prisons. Read More

Empire Justice Center 2009-11 Legislative Agenda Scorecard
August 14, 2009
(current as of 8/4/09) Read More

Update from Albany: A Tale of Two Cities
August 13, 2009
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…“ so go Charles Dickens’ famous lines from his work, A Tale of Two Cities written 150 years ago and which perfectly capture the mood of this year’s legislative session. Read More

Federal Reemployment Rights of Returning Military Personnel
October 1, 2007
Over 500,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve have been called up to military service following the attacks on September 11, 2001. With the hope that many of these service members will soon be returning home from overseas missions, they will also be legally entitled to return to their old jobs. Read More

Equitable Tolling Cannot Save Self-Employment Case
March 1, 2007
Pursuant to 42 U.S.C.§405(c)(1)(B), (c)(4), a self employed individual must file tax returns showing income within a specified time period in order to be credited with quarters of coverage, which are needed to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Read More