named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
Appellate Practice
Handles appeals in criminal cases, including filing notices of appeal, motions for poor person relief, and petitions in appellate courts and federal courts when constitutional rights are at issue.
Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA)
Attorneys provide immediate legal representation at felony arraignments throughout Westchester County, advocating for release or appropriate bail upon arrest.
Diversion Court
Therapeutic court program for individuals with substance use disorders charged with non-violent felonies, offering recovery through substance abuse treatment, drug testing, and lifestyle changes with the goal of case dismissal upon successful completion.
Family Court Division
Provides legal representation in family court matters including domestic violence, orders of protection, custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights for clients with pending criminal cases.
Mental Health Court
Therapeutic court program for individuals with serious mental illness facing criminal charges, providing holistic treatment, case management, and access to community resources with the goal of dismissing felony charges upon successful completion.
Regional Immigration Assistance Center
Provides training, legal advice, and support to attorneys representing indigent non-citizens in nine Hudson Valley counties, addressing immigration consequences of criminal and family court proceedings.
Veterans Court
Specialized court program for military veterans charged with non-violent felonies, offering mental health and substance abuse treatment with successful completion leading to more favorable case resolutions.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 3 activities
- Provides Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities assistanceConducts legal interviews and assists individuals in obtaining Certificates of Relief from Civil Disabilities, regardless of whether they were previously represented by the organization.
- Provides constitutionally mandated legal representation to indigent individualsProvides direct legal representation to individuals who are financially unable to afford counsel, particularly in criminal cases where such representation is constitutionally required. Services include felony defense, arraignment representation, and appellate advocacy.
- Provides public legal education and informational resourcesProvides general informational content about legal rights and services through its website and community outreach efforts to educate the public on their legal rights.
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 2 activities
- Operates a moot courtroom and training center for legal professionalsOperates a state-of-the-art training center with a moot courtroom equipped with federal-level technology to enable attorneys to practice oral advocacy and trial procedures; hosted over 50 trainings, outreach events, and seminars in 2024.
- Supports court-appointed defense attorneys through training and resourcesOffers training, written resources, expert legal advice, and continuing legal education to court-appointed defense attorneys in the Hudson Valley region to improve the quality of public defense.
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Family and Juvenile Legal Defense 2 activities
- Provides legal representation in Family Court mattersRepresents clients in Family Court cases involving domestic violence, orders of protection, child custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights.
- Represents adolescent offenders in juvenile and criminal proceedingsProvides immediate, free legal representation for adolescents when contacted by law enforcement and regularly appears in the Youth Part of Superior Court to represent young offenders. Also provides legal support during court preparation through programs like "The Closet."
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Champions systemic improvements in public defenseAdvocated for and implemented systemic reforms such as the Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA) program, which ensures legal representation at all criminal arraignments in Westchester County, day or night.
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Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 1 activity
- Defends tenants in eviction proceedings and secures public benefitsRepresents clients in housing court to prevent evictions and advocates to secure access to public benefits, education, and healthcare for vulnerable populations.
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Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
- Operates Regional Immigration Assistance CenterOperates one of six Regional Immigration Assistance Centers in New York State, providing free training, legal advice, and support to attorneys representing indigent non-citizens across nine Hudson Valley counties.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Files appellate and federal constitutional petitions on behalf of clientsFiles appeals, motions for poor person relief, habeas corpus petitions in federal district court, and certiorari petitions in the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge violations of constitutional rights.
- Makes training facilities available for public useMakes the LASW Training Center available for hearings and mediation conducted by external entities, including the Westchester Human Rights Commission.
- Modernizes organizational infrastructure and technologySecured grants including the AWS Imagine Grant to fund technological upgrades, oversaw transition to a digital office environment, and implemented new systems to enhance client rights protection and operational efficiency.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$20.78M
Contributions & grants$20.75M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$9780%
Other revenue$30K
expenses
Total expenses$17.41M
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$14.15M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$25.86M
Cash$6.14M
Investments$32K
Liabilities$17.34M
Net assets$8.52M
Liquid reserves4.3 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +10.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 7
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NICHOLAS SPERANZA | ATTORNEY | 40 | $271K |
| DINA DENLEA | ATTORNEY | 40 | $259K |
| JESSICA HUGEL | ATTORNEY | 40 | $256K |
| RICHARD VIVIANO | ATTORNEY | 40 | $247K |
| CAROL MANCA | CONTROLLER | 40 | $232K |
| CLARE DEGNAN | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $229K |
| SHERRY LEVIN WALLACH | ATTORNEY | 40 | $227K |
board members · 16
- BRENDAN GOODHOUSE — PRESIDENT
- BRIAN JOHNSON — BOARD MEMBER
- DAWN KIRBY — BOARD MEMBER
- FIORE F BLAISE WILLIAMS — BOARD MEMBER
- HARVEY LOEB — TREASURER
- HELEN MAUCH — BOARD MEMBER
- HERMAN GEIST — BOARD MEMBER
- JASON VALENTIN — BOARD MEMBER
- JOANNA SANDOLO — VICE PRESIDE
- LEROY FRAZER — BOARD MEMBER
- LETICIA ARZU — BOARD MEMBER
- NATISHA MATTHEWS — BOARD MEMBER
- RAQUEL DAVIDSON BROWN — BOARD MEMBER
- ROBERT SPOLZINO — BOARD MEMBER
- STEVEN WALDINGER — BOARD MEMBER
- WILLIAM WAGSTAFF — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- Choice Partner — Partners with Choice to provide housing and/or day treatment services for participants in the Mental Health Court program.
- Feeding America Network — Member of national food bank network
- Legal Services Corporation Government — Primary federal funder supporting legal aid services
- MHA Partner — Works with MHA to deliver housing and/or day treatment services for individuals enrolled in the Mental Health Court program.
- NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services Funder — Primary funder of the Regional Immigration Assistance Center through a grant.
- NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services Funder — Provides grant funding that supports training, legal advice, and other services for attorneys representing indigent non-citizens.
- New York State Bar Government — Requires attorneys to be admitted to the New York State Bar.
- Office of Veteran Affairs Partner — Collaborates with the Office of Veteran Affairs to provide mentors and support services for participants in the Veterans Court program.
- Westchester County Government — Co-established the Regional Immigration Assistance Center with The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County.
- Westchester County Partner — Co-established the Regional Immigration Assistance Center with The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County.
- Westchester Human Rights Commission Partner — Utilizes LASW Training Center for hearings and mediation.
- Youth Part Government — Appears in the Youth Part, a superior court division for adolescent offenders, to provide legal representation.
- trainingcenter@laswest.org Partner — Contact point for external organizations interested in scheduling continuing legal education programs at the Training Center.
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.
- Holistic Defense Modelmethodology: holistic-legal-servicesBy integrating legal, social work, and investigative support—and addressing underlying social and economic issues—we produce better legal outcomes and reduce recidivism because legal crises are often rooted in systemic vulnerabilities that require multidimensional solutions.
- Legal Presumption of Rehabilitationmethodology: legal-presumption-of-rehabilitationBy securing Certificates of Relief from Civil Disabilities, we improve employment and reintegration outcomes because the legal instrument creates a presumption of rehabilitation that reduces structural barriers for people with convictions.
- Plain-Language and Scenario-Based Legal Educationmethodology: scenario-based legal educationBy explaining complex legal procedures through plain language, media references, and real-life scenarios, we increase public understanding and exercise of constitutional rights because accessible framing makes abstract rights actionable during high-stress encounters.
- Youth-Responsive Justice Approachmethodology: youth-specific_legal_frameworkBy applying a youth-specific legal framework and using voluntary probation as a diversion strategy, we prevent long-term justice system involvement because adolescent brain development justifies rehabilitative alternatives over punitive processing.