named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Adolescents Confronting Transition (ACT) Project
Supports older youth in foster care with housing, education, employment, and parenting needs as they transition to adulthood
Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project
Offers specialized legal and social work advocacy for children who are victims of sexual abuse or exploitation
Domestic Violence Project
Represents children affected by domestic violence, working to ensure their safety and stability
Education Advocacy Project
Advocates for children's educational rights, particularly those with disabilities or in foster care
Immigration Rights Project
Provides legal and social work services to immigrant children, including special immigrant juvenile status and asylum cases
LGBTQIA+ Project
Offers culturally competent legal and social work advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth in the child welfare and justice systems
Mental Health & Developmental Disability Project
Represents children with mental health or developmental disabilities to ensure they receive appropriate services and placements
Youth Justice Practice
Provides legal representation and social work support for youth involved in the justice system, focusing on rehabilitation and family reunification
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 4 activities
- Appellate and amicus advocacy to protect children's rightsEngages in appellate representation and files amicus briefs in higher courts to defend and expand children's rights in foster care and family court proceedings. This includes collaboration with appellate counsel over multiple cases and participation in landmark litigation such as a New York Court of Appeals case affirming the right to counsel.
- Case-specific advocacy to ensure child safety and family reunificationAdvocates for children to be placed in safe and loving homes, facilitates timely reunification with families, and reduces trauma associated with out-of-home placement. Specific interventions include securing court-ordered removal from unsafe placements, arranging home evaluations, expediting adoption proceedings, and advocating for in-home mental health services to enable safe return home.
- Direct legal and social work representation for children in family and youth justice casesProvides free legal and social work advocacy to children involved in abuse, neglect, foster care, termination of parental rights, visitation, custody, adoption, and juvenile delinquency cases. Each client is assigned both an attorney and a social worker to protect their rights, ensure safety, and advocate for their needs and wishes. The organization represents over 3,000 children annually in more than 6,000 Family Court proceedings, with over 100,000 children represented since 1984.
- Systemic advocacy and public policy reform for child welfareLeads systemic advocacy through the Public Policy and Special Litigation Project, focusing on reforming the child welfare system. Activities include class action litigation, legislative advocacy, co-authoring white papers, submitting formal policy comments, and advocating for equitable funding and reduced attorney workloads. Achievements include securing the first class action settlement preventing youth homelessness upon foster care discharge and ending the shackling of youth in family court.
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Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Pro bono engagement and recognitionHosts an annual Pro Bono Awards Breakfast to recognize attorneys who provide pro bono legal services to the organization’s clients, fostering broader legal community involvement in child advocacy.
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Foster Youth Transition Support 1 activity
- Support for youth aging out of foster careProvides targeted support to youth transitioning out of foster care, including assistance with accessing education, housing, and employment to promote independent living. The organization has prevented homelessness for 100% of the youth aging out of foster care whom they serve, and supports them in applying to college, securing housing, and obtaining necessary services.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$11.86M
Contributions & grants$11.78M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$74K1%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$10.53M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$8.57M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$8.27M
Cash$3.02M
Investments$0
Liabilities$4.95M
Net assets$3.32M
Liquid reserves3.5 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +23.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLENN METSCH-AMPEL | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $233K |
| MICHAEL MURTAGH | CO-DIRECTOR, SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE | 40 | $179K |
| BETSY KRAMER | POLICY & SPECIAL LITIGATION PROJECT DIRECTOR | 40 | $173K |
| MICHAEL SCHERZ | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROJECT DIRECTOR | 40 | $172K |
| MARLY GONZALEZ | SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY | 40 | $172K |
| ANNA SCHISSEL | DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | 40 | $165K |
| KAREN J FREEDMAN | PRESIDENT | 24 | $149K |
board members · 14
- ALAN B ABRAMSON — VICE CHAIR
- ALAN M KLEIN — DIRECTOR
- ALLISON LEVINE-STILLMAN — DIRECTOR
- ANDREA MARKS — DIRECTOR
- BRIAN L SCHORR — TREASURER
- DARREN MARTIN — DIRECTOR
- DAVID A TANNER — DIRECTOR
- JACOB W BUCHDAHL — DIRECTOR
- JEREMY FIELDING — SECRETARY
- JOHN M SHAPIRO — BOARD CHAIR
- KATRINA E JAMES — DIRECTOR
- MARI C HINOJOSA — DIRECTOR
- SARA E NATHAN — DIRECTOR
- VAUGHN WILLIAMS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- Administration for Children’s Services Government — Submitted formal comments to ACS opposing a proposed policy on Social Security benefits for children in foster care.
- Brooklyn Defender Services Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Children’s Law Center Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Children’s Rights Society Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Children’s Services Government — Agency involved in the foster care placement of youth represented by LFC.
- Citizens Concerned for Children Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- City & State New York Government — Recognized Lawyers For Children as a Top Workplace in its 2025 list.
- Edwina Richardson Government — Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives who nominated Karen Freedman and attended the award ceremony.
- Hecker Fink LLP Partner — Law firm whose attorney, Sean Hecker, participated in a panel discussion on pro bono representation at the 2025 Pro Bono Awards Breakfast.
- Jonathan Lippman Government — Former Chief Judge who nominated Karen Freedman for the Lifetime Achievement Award and praised the organization's impact on children's rights.
- Latham & Watkins LLP Partner — Law firm whose partner, Arlene Chow, led pro bono work on an amicus brief in a New York Court of Appeals case involving children's rights.
- Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo Partner — Jointly issued a statement with Lawyers For Children on a New York Court of Appeals decision regarding foster care and due process.
- Legal Aid Society Partner — Jointly issued a statement with Lawyers For Children on a New York Court of Appeals decision regarding foster care and due process.
- Legal Aid Society of Rochester Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Legal Aid Society of Rockland County Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Loeb & Loeb LLP Partner — Law firm that sponsors the Pro Bono Awards Breakfast and whose attorneys provide pro bono legal services in collaboration with LFC.
- Morrison Foerster LLP Partner — Law firm whose attorney, Jamie Levitt, participated in a panel discussion on pro bono representation at the 2025 Pro Bono Awards Breakfast.
- New York City Bar Association Partner — Recognized LFC's Policy Director with the Kathryn A. McDonald Award for Excellence in Service to Family Court.
- New York State Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson Government — Responded to public address by Chief Judge Wilson on family court investments, aligning with judicial leadership on systemic reform.
- New York State Office of Court Administration Government — Provider of financial support to Lawyers For Children
- Permanent Commission on Justice For Families Partner — LFC Executive Director appointed to serve on this state-created commission to study and reform the family justice system.
- Proskauer Partner — Jointly issued a statement with Lawyers For Children on a New York Court of Appeals decision regarding foster care and due process.
- Sullivan Trail Legal Society, Inc. Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- Susman Godfrey LLP Partner — Law firm where LFC Board Member Jacob Buchdahl is affiliated and participated in a panel discussion on pro bono representation.
- The Legal Aid Society Partner — Co-authored a white paper on underfunding and workloads in child legal representation.
- The Legal Aid Society Partner — Jointly condemned a proposed ACS policy and advocated for reform of Social Security benefits practices for children in foster care.
- Vanessa Roth Partner — Directed the organization's 40th anniversary video.
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.
- Equitable Funding as Structural Justicemethodology: equitable funding advocacyBy advocating for equitable funding of family court legal services, the organization works to dismantle a two-tier justice system, because fair compensation and manageable caseloads are necessary to ensure high-quality, dignified representation for Black and Brown children and families.
- Integrated Legal and Social Work Advocacymethodology: integrated_legal_and_social_servicesBy combining legal representation with social work and therapeutic support, the organization addresses both the legal and psychosocial needs of children in high-risk systems, because holistic intervention leads to more effective protection and long-term stability.
- Interdisciplinary Team Model with Lived Experiencemethodology: interdisciplinary-team-modelBy integrating attorneys, social workers, and peer advocates with lived experience, the organization builds trust and improves outcomes, because multidisciplinary collaboration and authentic representation enhance client engagement and cultural responsiveness.
- Systemic Reform Through Direct Client Advocacymethodology: systemic reform through direct advocacyBy using individual client cases to inform policy, litigation, and legislative advocacy, the organization drives system-wide change in child welfare, because direct experience reveals structural failures and creates leverage for equitable reform.