named programs · 13 · from sources
What they call their work
Consumer Advocacy
Assists with consumer debt, credit issues, bankruptcy, and predatory lending through programs like CLARO and ICAN.
Disability Advocacy
Offers legal support on issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including access to public services, employment, education, and healthcare.
Domestic Violence
Provides legal counsel and court representation for victims of domestic abuse, including restraining orders, custody, and divorce proceedings.
Elder Law
Provides free legal services to seniors aged 60 and above in areas including estate planning, guardianship, elder abuse, Medicare/Medicaid, housing, and consumer fraud.
Family Defense
Assists clients with divorce, child custody, child welfare, and related family law matters, particularly in cases involving domestic violence.
Family Kinship Unit
Supports grandparents and non-biological caregivers with legal issues related to custody, guardianship, housing, and public assistance.
Health & Wellness (HIV/AIDS)
Delivers legal guidance on healthcare access, confidentiality, employment rights, and anti-discrimination for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Housing Rights
Offers legal representation in tenant-landlord disputes, eviction defense, housing discrimination, and unsafe housing conditions.
Impact Litigation
Engages in strategic litigation to bring about systemic changes in laws and policies affecting low-income and vulnerable populations.
LGBTQIA+ Rights
Advocates for LGBTQIA+ individuals facing discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, and family law.
Social Security / Public Benefits
Helps clients apply for and maintain access to Social Security (SSI/SSD), SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, unemployment, and other public benefits.
Special Education
Represents students with disabilities in Rockland County school districts to ensure appropriate educational services and accommodations.
Veterans & Military Families
Provides comprehensive legal services to veterans and their families across all practice areas, established in 2012 to address their unique legal needs.
activities · 13 groups
What they do
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 4 activities
- Provides civil legal representation to low-income individuals and vulnerable populationsOffers high-quality, free civil legal services to low-income individuals, families, and other vulnerable persons who lack access to legal representation, handling over 12,000 legal cases in 2024 and impacting more than 21,000 individuals through direct services and advocacy.
- Provides legal assistance to crime victimsAssists victims of crime with civil legal issues including housing, family law, employment, consumer matters, and immigration.
- Provides legal services to LGBTQIA+ individuals and familiesOffers free legal services through the LGBTQIA+ Legal Project to address discrimination, housing, employment, family law (including adoption and custody), and healthcare access for low-income LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families.
- Provides legal support in consumer and bankruptcy mattersOffers free legal advice through CLARO to individuals dealing with debt, credit, or bankruptcy issues, and assists self-represented litigants in completing forms for fee waivers and appointment of counsel in divorce cases.
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 2 activities
- Provides legal guidance to kinship caregiversOperates a Kinship Unit that provides legal advice and representation to grandparents, relatives, and non-biological caregivers on civil legal issues including custody, guardianship, housing, public benefits, and education.
- Represents parents and children in child welfare system proceedingsProvides legal representation to parents involved in Child Protective Services investigations and Family Court child welfare cases, including Article 10 Neglect and Abuse Matters, through the first Family Defense Unit in Westchester County, with the objective of preventing child custody removal.
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Public Benefits Navigation and Enrollment 1 activity
- Assists individuals with Social Security and public benefits accessProvides pro bono legal aid, counsel, and advocacy to help individuals navigate applications and appeals for Social Security Disability (SSD), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and other public benefits, including offering a downloadable resource library.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Engages in impact litigation for systemic legal changeConducts impact litigation aimed at achieving legal or policy changes that benefit low-income communities and advance access to justice.
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Senior Advocacy and Civic Engagement 1 activity
- Engages in policy reform and community education advocacyConducts community education initiatives and advocates for policy reform to support seniors, promote systemic change, combat employment discrimination, and advance rights and dignity for vulnerable populations including LGBTQIA+ individuals.
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Long-Term Care Advocacy & Provider Support 1 activity
- Operates as Medicaid Ombudsman for long-term care servicesServes as the New York State Ombudsman Program for Medicaid recipients, providing legal support to individuals needing long-term care, home attendant services, adult day care, or nursing home placement.
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Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 1 activity
- Provides housing rights legal services and resourcesDelivers free, comprehensive legal representation and advocacy in housing rights issues, including legal advice, representation, community education, and access to downloadable forms and resources for New York State residents to promote housing stability.
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Special Education Support Services 1 activity
- Provides legal advocacy for children in Rockland CountyProvides legal support through Rockland Child Advocacy and represents students with or suspected of having disabilities in all Rockland County school districts to ensure access to special education services and protect children's welfare.
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Guardianship and Representative Payee Services 1 activity
- Provides legal assistance to individuals with disabilitiesOffers legal representation and support to individuals with physical, intellectual, or emotional disabilities and their families in matters including Social Security benefits, housing, rehabilitation services, employment, and healthcare, including restoring benefits lost during the pandemic.
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Domestic Violence Survivor Support Services 1 activity
- Provides legal representation in family law and domestic violence mattersOffers civil legal representation to victims of domestic violence in restraining orders, divorce, custody disputes, financial support, and related immigration and housing issues; also provides legal services in child custody cases involving Child Protective Services interventions and broader family law matters including divorce and custody.
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Veteran Benefits and Reintegration Support 1 activity
- Provides legal services to veterans and military familiesOperates a dedicated Veterans & Military Families Unit established in 2012 to deliver comprehensive legal services across all practice areas, including VA benefits, disability claims, discharge upgrades, housing, employment, family law, and financial issues, to prevent homelessness and support stability for veterans and their families.
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HIV/AIDS Prevention and Support Services 1 activity
- Provides legal support for individuals with HIV/AIDSOffers civil legal services to individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS, addressing discrimination, housing, confidentiality under Article 27-F, disability rights, Medicaid access, healthcare planning, and advocacy for legal protections and services to improve quality of life.
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Elder Abuse and Legal Advocacy Services 1 activity
- Provides legal support to seniorsDelivers free civil legal services to seniors in areas including estate planning, healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid, housing, guardianship, and future planning documents, while engaging in community education and policy reform advocacy to promote systemic change.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$41.39M
Contributions & grants$41.14M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$203K0%
Other revenue$37K
expenses
Total expenses$40.99M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$30.10M
Grants paid out$5.97M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$21.85M
Cash$2.12M
Investments$2.28M
Liabilities$10.67M
Net assets$11.19M
Liquid reserves1.3 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +5.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 12
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RACHEL HALPERIN | CEO | 50 | $308K |
| MYRA LOEWENSTEIN | CFO | 50 | $279K |
| JILL BRADSHAW SOTO | CHIEF PROG O | 50 | $247K |
| LARA KASPER-BUCKAREFF | CHIEF OPER O | 50 | $214K |
| MELINDA BELLUS | ATTORNEY IN | 50 | $208K |
| JOANNE SIROTKIN | ATTORNEY IN | 50 | $205K |
| RACHEL SAUNDERS | ATTORNEY IN | 50 | $199K |
| SHEEBA ROY MATHAI | CHIEF ENG O | 50 | $197K |
| BRIAN PAYAMPS | DIRECTOR ACC | 50 | $197K |
| CHRISTA RING | CHIEF HR OFF | 50 | $195K |
| RAY SIMONS | SR DIR OPERA | 50 | $194K |
| JAZMINE LEON | CHIEF DEV OF | 50 | $190K |
board members · 13
- ALEJANDRO CRUZ — VICE PRESIDE
- ALISON J PLENGE — BOARD MEMBER
- AMBER JEUNEGENS — BOARD MEMBER
- BRIANA ELLIOT — BOARD MEMBER
- CHARLES S BIENER — BOARD MEMBER
- CLIFFORD WEBER — BOARD MEMBER
- CORINNA CARRILLO RESIGNED 925 — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID OWENS — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID TARR — BOARD MEMBER
- DIANA B KOLEV — BOARD MEMBER
- EVELICIA RODRIGUEZ — BOARD MEMBER
- GREG BLANKINSHIP — BOARD MEMBER
- GREG MCLAUGHLIN — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- American Bar Association Government — Connected to the national legal aid ecosystem endorsed and supported by the American Bar Association through its Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Government — Interprets and applies ADA provisions in legal representation and advocacy for individuals with disabilities.
- Article 27-F Government — Legal framework defining and protecting confidential HIV-related information, which LSHV actively defends.
- Eviction Lab Partner — Collaborates on public awareness of legal aid issues, as highlighted in a joint article on the human cost of federal budget cuts to legal aid.
- Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN) Government — Serves as the New York State Ombudsman Program for Medicaid long-term care recipients through ICAN.
- Legal Aid Society of New York Partner — Westchester Legal Services, a predecessor to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, shares historical roots with the Legal Aid Society of New York through the German Immigrant Society.
- Legal Services Corporation Government — Part of the national legal services infrastructure established under the Legal Services Corporation Act.
- National Legal Aid and Defender Association Network — Part of the broader national network of legal aid organizations, with historical ties through the National Alliance of Legal Aid Societies.
- New York State Government — Provides legal services and outreach to LGBTQIA+ individuals within New York State.
- Rehabilitation Act Government — Uses the Rehabilitation Act as a legal framework in representing individuals with disabilities in areas such as employment and access to services.
- Rockland Child Advocacy Partner — Collaborates to provide legal support and services for child welfare in Rockland County, NY.
- State Central Register Government — LSHV represents parents with indicated reports in the State Central Register.
- State of New York Government — Provides housing-related legal forms and resources aligned with state regulations.
- Veterans & Military Families Unit Network — Comprehensive practice area within LSHV dedicated to serving veterans and military families across all legal disciplines.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Client-Centered Legal Empowermentmethodology: client_centered_empowermentBy centering client narratives and lived experience in legal representation, we empower individuals to assert their rights and achieve dignity because respectful, tailored support increases engagement, trust, and effectiveness of legal interventions.
- Direct Legal Representation to Remove Systemic Barriersmethodology: direct_legal_representationBy providing free, high-quality civil legal representation, we dismantle systemic barriers to justice for low-income and marginalized individuals because access to counsel enables individuals to challenge inequities and secure basic rights in housing, health, and income.
- Holistic Legal Advocacymethodology: holistic_advocacyBy integrating legal services across housing, health, income supports, and family law, we address interconnected legal needs because clients' challenges are rarely isolated and require coordinated, comprehensive intervention to achieve lasting stability.