named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Disability Advocacy Project
Provides specialized legal support to individuals with disabilities, including assistance with Social Security benefits and accessibility rights
Justice Bus
Mobile legal services program that brings legal assistance directly to underserved communities through outreach events and pop-up clinics
NLS Navigator Project
Guides clients through complex legal and social service systems, connecting them with resources and representation
WIPA Project
Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program helping people with disabilities navigate employment while maintaining benefits
activities · 10 groups
What they do
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 6 activities
- Homeless client outreach and representationRepresents homeless individuals through the Homeless Task Force outreach program, providing legal support to address crises and systemic barriers.
- Integration of legal services into healthcare settingsEmbeds legal services within healthcare environments to address structural determinants of health, supporting clinical and social work teams in improving patient outcomes by resolving legal barriers.
- Legal resource dissemination and public educationMaintains a searchable library of legal resources on key civil legal topics and directs users to Law Help NY for additional information and self-help tools.
- Legal support for people with disabilitiesOffers specialized legal assistance through the Disability Unit for clients with physical, mental, and sensory disabilities, addressing issues related to healthcare, Social Security, SSI denials, and work and benefits counseling.
- Provide free civil legal assistance to low-income individualsOffers comprehensive free civil legal services to low-income clients in areas including housing, family law, public benefits, disability rights, and health insurance enrollment. Served thousands of clients and closed 7,691 legal cases in 2025.
- Student loan debt counseling and legal supportProvides free, one-on-one counseling and legal assistance to borrowers seeking federal, private, or institutional student loan repayment, discharge, or forgiveness options, helping them create personalized debt management plans.
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Self-Sufficiency Empowerment Workshops 1 activity
- Client empowerment and self-sufficiency programmingRuns Project Dandelion, which supports individuals receiving public benefits through skills workshops, benefits counseling, and mentoring to promote long-term self-sufficiency.
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Community Resource Navigation and Support Services 1 activity
- Community outreach and engagementConducts community outreach through events and on-site services, hosting 273 outreach events in 2025 to connect with clients and deliver legal support directly in neighborhoods.
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Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 1 activity
- Eviction prevention and tenant legal representationProvides legal advice, outreach, mediation with landlords, and court representation to tenants facing eviction. Operates the WNY Eviction Prevention Project, which includes a dedicated hotline and on-site housing court support. Prevented or delayed 4,450 evictions and closed 5,993 cases in collaboration with partners in 2025.
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Facility-Based Service Delivery 1 activity
- Expansion of service access through new officesOpened a new office in Lockport in 2023 to serve Niagara County clients and a second office in Buffalo in 2024 to improve walk-in access and proximity to court facilities.
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Health Insurance Enrollment Assistance 1 activity
- Health insurance enrollment assistanceOffers one-on-one support and education to help individuals enroll in health insurance through the New York State of Health Marketplace, including public insurance programs and qualified health plans, via trained Navigators.
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 1 activity
- Legal representation in family law mattersRepresents clients in family court proceedings including custody, visitation, divorce, orders of protection, child support, and domestic violence cases, with priority given to victims of domestic violence.
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Public Benefits Navigation and Enrollment 1 activity
- Public benefits legal assistanceProvides legal representation and support for low-income individuals navigating public assistance programs, including Medicaid, food stamps, utility shut-offs, Medicare, SSI, and Department of Social Services issues.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Systemic advocacy through impact litigationInitiates class action lawsuits and other forms of impact litigation to advance systemic change in areas such as fair housing, discrimination, and access to public services in Western New York.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Economic impact of legal servicesGenerated $94,006,094 in economic impact from legal services in Western New York during fiscal year 2024.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$16.49M
Contributions & grants$16.07M98%
Program service revenue$10K0%
Investment income$397K2%
Other revenue$5K
expenses
Total expenses$16.20M
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$11.84M
Grants paid out$2.50M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$7.67M
Cash$802K
Investments$0
Liabilities$5.05M
Net assets$2.61M
Liquid reserves0.6 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -0.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 10
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MELISSA MENDOLERA | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $211K |
| LAUREN E BREEN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (TO AUGUST 2025) | 40 | $204K |
| KEISHA WILLIAMS | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | 40 | $196K |
| VERA VENKOVA | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | 32 | $164K |
| JOHN M ZONITCH | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 40 | $164K |
| DIANA PROSKE | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 40 | $160K |
| TODD SCHIFFMACHER | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 40 | $160K |
| JENNIFER DILLON | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 40 | $150K |
| CASSANDRA CONNIFF | CONTROLLER | 40 | $150K |
| WILLIAM O'CONNELL | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (STARTING AUGUST 2025) | 40 | $89K |
board members · 15
- CARINA SCHOENBERGER — BOARD MEMBER (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- DAVID NELSON — BOARD MEMBER (TO JUNE 2025)
- DIANA BLOOM — BOARD MEMBER
- ELAINE DIALLO — BOARD MEMBER (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- ELISE CASSAR — BOARD MEMBER (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- GRACE GOLANDO — BOARD MEMBER (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- GRACE PIETROCARLO — BOARD MEMBER
- HEATHER ABRAHAM — BOARD MEMBER (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- JONATHAN LACEY — VICE PRESIDENT (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- JULIA HEFTKA — BOARD MEMBER (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- KERISHA HAWTHORNE-GREER — PRESIDENT (STARTING JUNE 2025)
- MARGARET SROKA — BOARD MEMBER (TO JUNE 2025)
- MICHAELLE SCHWACH — PRESIDENT (TO JUNE 2025)
- OCTOBER REED — BOARD MEMBER
- PAMELA THIBODEAU — SECRETARY (STARTING JUNE 2025)
relationships · 35
Who they work with
- Catholic Charities Partner — Provides MLP services for financially-eligible patients through the PatientPath program.
- Catholic Health Partner — Provides MLP services for financially-eligible patients through the PatientPath program.
- Center for Elder Law & Justice Partner — Collaborates with NLS on the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project.
- Center for Elder Law and Justice Partner — Partner agency in the WNY Eviction Prevention Project.
- Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program Partner — NLS is a partner agency of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program network.
- Erie County Partner — Provides legal services in Erie County with a dedicated contact number.
- Erie County Bar Association Partner — Partner organization providing attorney referrals for personal injury and other legal matters outside NLS's scope.
- Evergreen Health Partner — Provides MLP services for financially-eligible patients through the Health Equity Law Project.
- Feeding America Network — Member of national food bank network
- Genesee County Partner — Provides legal services in Genesee County as part of a multi-county service area with a shared contact number.
- Homeless Task Force Partner — Collaborates on outreach program to represent homeless clients.
- Interest on Lawyer Accounts (IOLA) Funder — Funder supporting NLS programs through interest earnings from lawyer trust accounts.
- Journey’s End Refugee Services Partner — Community partner to which Neighborhood Legal Services refers clients for immigration services in Erie and Niagara Counties.
- Legal Aid Partner — Partner agency in the WNY Eviction Prevention Project.
- Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Partner — Collaborates with NLS on the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project.
- Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Partner — Community partner to which Neighborhood Legal Services refers clients for criminal legal matters and immigration services in Erie and Niagara Counties.
- Legal Services Corporation Funder — Primary funder supporting NLS operations.
- NYS Bar Association Partner — Partner organization providing attorney referrals for legal matters outside NLS's scope in Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties.
- Neighborhood Health Center Partner — Provides MLP services for financially-eligible patients through the LegalCare program.
- New York State Department of Health Funder — Funds the Navigator program for health insurance enrollment assistance.
- New York State of Health Government — Official health plan marketplace through which enrollment and education services are provided.
- Niagara County Partner — Provides legal services in Niagara County with dedicated contact numbers for Niagara Falls and Lockport locations.
- Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Government — Funds the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project through its Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
- Orleans County Partner — Provides legal services in Orleans County as part of a multi-county service area with a shared contact number.
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Partner — Provides MLP services for financially-eligible patients, caretakers, and loved ones through the LegalCare program.
- U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Government — Provides MLP services for financially-eligible patients through the Legal Services for Veterans program.
- UB Law School Partner — Collaborates with NLS on the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project.
- UB School of Law Partner — Partner agency in the WNY Eviction Prevention Project.
- Volunteer Lawyers Project Partner — Collaborates with NLS on the Western New York Eviction Prevention Project.
- Volunteer Lawyers Project Partner — Community partner to which Neighborhood Legal Services refers clients for immigration services in multiple counties.
+ 5 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Early Legal Intervention to Prevent Crisismethodology: early_interventionBy intervening in housing disputes before court involvement, we reduce eviction rates and housing instability, because early advocacy increases the likelihood of negotiated resolutions and tenant retention.
- Individualized Legal Counseling for Empowermentmethodology: individualized legal_counselingThrough one-on-one legal counseling, we enable clients to resolve complex civil legal problems such as student debt or health insurance enrollment, because personalized guidance increases client agency and effective navigation of bureaucratic systems.
- Legal Representation as Structural Interventionmethodology: legal_representation_for_housing_equityBy providing legal representation in housing, family, and disability-related civil matters, we stabilize vulnerable households and reduce systemic inequities, because access to justice is a determinant of health, safety, and economic stability.
- Medical-Legal Partnership Modelmethodology: medical-legal_partnershipBy embedding legal services within healthcare settings, we address social determinants of health as part of clinical care, because legal problems such as housing instability and insurance access directly impact health outcomes.