named programs · 14 · from sources
What they call their work
Access to Health Care and Education
Assists with legal issues related to rural health care access and special education rights, including disputes with providers and advocacy for student rights in under-resourced rural schools.
Albany Law School – Pro Bono Elder Law Program
Partners with Albany Law School to train 10–20 students annually in elder law; students conduct legal information workshops for seniors in rural counties each semester.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshops
Offers community trainings on ADR theory and skills for community groups, schools, and human service agencies; supports Judge DiFiore’s presumptive mediation initiative.
Appellate Representation
Provides appellate services in family court cases from rural counties; handles pro bono appeals on issues disproportionately affecting rural populations.
Comprehensive Services for Older Adults
Provides legal representation and workshops on wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies, guardianship, and financial planning to prevent family and financial crises among seniors.
Law Reach
Accepts civil legal cases referred by 35 legislators representing rural districts; builds partnerships with elected officials to expand access to justice.
Legal Services for the rural LGBTQIA+ community
Provides existing legal services to LGBTQIA+ individuals and plans to expand outreach to rural networks with additional funding.
New York State Agricultural Mediation Program
Provides mediation for farm families facing financial pressures, adverse USDA decisions, loan delinquency, supplier disputes, and succession planning; operates in partnership with USDA.
North Country Conflict Resolution Services (NCCRS)
Provides mediation, arbitration, facilitation, and conflict resolution training in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton Counties; funded by the NYS Unified Court System.
Online Mediation Project
Offers limited online mediation services using experienced legal staff to expand access across rural New York.
Permanency/Kinship: Grandparents Seeking Custody
Assists grandparents and kinship caregivers in preparing for family court proceedings to secure custody of children outside the foster care system; collaborates with Kinship Navigator and Child Care Coordinating Council.
Pro Se Divorce Assistance
Offers document preparation, filing assistance, and fee waivers for individuals seeking divorce without legal representation; conducts pro se divorce clinics in rural counties.
Rural Financial Crisis Resource Center
Serves as a comprehensive resource for individuals and agencies assisting low-income rural New Yorkers facing financial crises due to unemployment, medical debt, predatory lending, or unlawful evictions.
Rural Housing Initiatives
Provides legal information and direct representation on landlord-tenant law, foreclosure, evictions, mobile home ownership, and housing stability; includes mediation and education on the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 5 activities
- Appellate legal representationEmploys three appellate attorneys who provide legal representation in appeals from family courts in rural counties and handle pro bono appellate cases affecting rural residents, ensuring access to higher court review.
- Legal assistance in consumer debt and financial crisisProvides legal counseling and representation in consumer debt matters including bankruptcy, predatory lending, unfair debt collection, small claims, and farm foreclosures. Operates the Rural Financial Crisis Resource Center to assist individuals and community organizations facing economic instability.
- Pro bono attorney recruitment and coordinationRecruits and coordinates pro bono attorneys to expand legal service capacity in underserved rural areas of New York State.
- Provide civil legal services to low-income rural residentsDelivers direct legal representation and counseling in civil matters to low-income individuals across 44 rural counties in New York, with clients typically at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Services are accessible through online intake forms, remote webcam consultations, and referrals from legislators and community partners.
- Special education and medical dispute advocacyProvides legal assistance to rural families in securing special education services for students and resolving disputes with medical providers, supporting equitable access to essential educational and health resources.
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Conflict Mediation & Resolution Services 1 activity
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) servicesOperates a comprehensive dispute resolution program offering mediation, arbitration, facilitation, and conciliation in civil matters across multiple counties. Services include family mediation, landlord/tenant disputes, small/large claims, special education, lemon law, attorney fee disputes, elder/caregiver, and workplace mediation.
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Advance Care Planning Support 1 activity
- Estate planning and elder law servicesDelivers legal assistance and workshops on estate planning for seniors, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care proxies, and advance directives. Partners with Albany Law School and provides targeted support to rural older adults.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Impact litigationRepresents clients in impact cases designed to address widespread legal issues characteristic of rural poverty, creating broader legal and systemic change beyond individual client representation.
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 1 activity
- Legal assistance in family lawProvides comprehensive legal support in family law matters including custody, visitation, child and spousal support, divorce, adoptions, kinship care, and pro se divorce clinics with document preparation and fee waiver assistance. Specialized services are offered for self-represented litigants and kinship caregivers preparing for court.
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Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 1 activity
- Legal assistance in housing and homelessness preventionOffers legal representation and advocacy in landlord/tenant disputes, evictions, foreclosures, Section 8 housing, and homeownership issues, with a focus on preventing rural homelessness and improving access to affordable housing for working families.
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Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Legal education and outreach programsConducts legal workshops, clinics, and outreach initiatives for rural residents and service providers on topics including alternative dispute resolution, estate planning, and civil legal rights. Develops and distributes web-based legal information resources for self-represented litigants.
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Policy Advocacy & Research 1 activity
- Policy and institutional advocacyEngages in policy advocacy to influence legislation and government policy affecting rural communities, with a focus on increasing resource allocation and addressing systemic barriers faced by low-income rural New Yorkers. Informs policymakers and raises public awareness about rural legal issues.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.74M
Contributions & grants$1.26M72%
Program service revenue$481K28%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.68M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$1.50M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$739K
Cash$265K
Investments$0
Liabilities$252K
Net assets$487K
Liquid reserves1.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +12.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEIDI DENNIS ESQ | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $139K |
| TRACY COLVARD PELLERIN | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 35 | $107K |
| KRISTIN BULVAS | ATTORNEY | 35 | $103K |
board members · 6
- ANDREW PULRANG — SECRETARY/TREASURER
- ELLEN C COCCOMA ESQ — VICE PRESIDENT
- LEWIS PAPENFUSE — DIRECTOR
- MARGERY MURRAY — DIRECTOR
- SCOTT CLIPPINGER ESQ — PRESIDENT
- WILLIAM D LAUNDRY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- ADR Funder — Funds community-based dispute resolution services including mediation, arbitration, restorative practices, and conflict coaching.
- Adirondack Foundation Trust Funder — Channeling philanthropy into Adirondack communities, including periodic grant awards to the Rural Law Center.
- Albany Law School Partner — Collaborates with the Rural Law Center on the Elder Law Pro Bono Program, including co-hosting workshops and training events for seniors and veterans.
- Albany Law School Partner — Partners with the Rural Law Center on the Pro Bono Elder Law Program, training law students to deliver legal workshops for seniors in rural counties.
- Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country Partner — Partners with the Rural Law Center to assist kinship caregivers in preparing for family court proceedings.
- IOLA Funder — Funds civil legal services for low-income individuals through interest from lawyer trust accounts.
- IOLA (Interest on Lawyer Accounts) Fund Funder — Provided initial financial support for the incorporation of the Rural Law Center of New York, Inc.
- JCLS Funder — Provides annual funding for civil legal services to support individuals living at or below 200% of the poverty level.
- Justice Clinic at the Albany Law School Partner — Collaborates on the Family Stabilization Project to provide civil legal services to low-income families.
- Kinship Navigator Partner — Collaborates with the Rural Law Center’s Kinship Care Program to support grandparents and kinship caregivers in court preparation.
- Kinship Navigator program Partner — Statewide program collaborating with the Rural Law Center to assist kinship caregivers with petition completion and court preparation.
- Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Partner — Collaborates on the Family Stabilization Project to provide civil legal services to low-income families.
- New York Bar Foundation Funder — Provided initial financial support for the incorporation of the Rural Law Center of New York, Inc.
- New York State Unified Court System Government — Administers the statewide Community Mediation Centers Program of which NCCRS is a part and is the primary funder of NCCRS services.
- New York State Unified Court System Government — Partners with the Rural Law Center through its Attorney Emeritus program and CDRC Program, integrating court system resources into the organization’s service model.
- The Legal Project Partner — Collaborates on the Family Stabilization Project to provide civil legal services to low-income families.
- USDA Partner — Collaborates with the Rural Law Center to provide mediation services for farm families facing adverse agency decisions or financial pressures.
- human service agencies Partner — Partners with human service agencies to support low-income rural individuals and families.
- legal community Partner — Collaborates with legal professionals and organizations in providing services and advancing access to justice.
- network of attorneys across the state Partner — Refers appellate matters from family courts in rural counties to the Rural Law Center of New York.
- rural New York legislators Partner — Provides constituent legal services in collaboration with rural New York legislators.
strategies · 5
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.
- Coalition-Based Collective Actionmethodology: coalition_buildingBy facilitating coalitions among rural organizations and stakeholders, the organization amplifies advocacy impact because coordinated networks produce stronger systemic change than isolated actors.
- Community-Based Mediation and Conflict Resolutionmethodology: community-based mediationBy training local community members as mediators and offering remote mediation services, the organization increases access to justice in rural areas because locally grounded, voluntary dispute resolution builds trust and overcomes geographic and institutional barriers.
- Pro Bono and Legal Capacity Buildingmethodology: pro bono capacity buildingBy training law students and rural attorneys in pro bono legal work, the organization expands access to legal services in underserved areas because building local legal capacity sustains long-term justice delivery in isolated communities.
- Rural-Focused Legal Equitymethodology: rural-legal-equityBy concentrating legal services and advocacy on low-income rural populations in New York, the organization addresses systemic inequities in access to justice because rural communities face unique legal barriers tied to geographic isolation and economic need.
- Systemic Advocacy Through Litigation and Policymethodology: systemic advocacyBy using impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education in tandem, the organization creates structural change in rural legal systems because isolated interventions fail to address root causes of inequity.