Legal Services

The Legal Action Center (LAC) provides legal services to help fight discrimination, to protect privacy, and to assist individuals with a variety of legal issues.  LAC provides legal services to: 

  • people in recovery or still suffering from addiction and people with HIV/AIDS, protecting them against discrimination and violations of privacy
  • qualified people with criminal records, assisting them in fighting discrimination
  • people with HIV/AIDS in New York State, helping them with a variety of legal issues, including government benefits, family law, living wills and health care proxies, permanency planning, HIV/AIDS reporting and partner notification
  • people with criminal records in New York State, helping them to obtain and clean up their "rap sheets," obtain employment and improve their chances to successfully re-enter society
National services New York State services


How to Get Help

If your legal problem falls into one of the categories above, please contact the Legal Action Center as follows: 

  • Individuals who live in New York or have a New York legal problem may call the Legal Action Center at (212) 243-1313, Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Calls about criminal records, however, are fielded on Tuesdays and Fridays only. Individual clients should ask to speak to a paralegal.
  • Service providers and agencies in New York calling with their own legal questions should call between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. and ask for the "attorney on call." Agencies wanting information about organizing trainings should request to speak with the training coordinator.
  • Non-New York residents who need help with problems outside of New York State:
    • If the legal problem is about discrimination due to HIV or an alcohol or drug problem, call the Legal Action Center at (212) 243-1313, Monday through Friday between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. and ask for the "attorney on call"
    • If the legal problem is about employment discrimination due to a criminal record outside of New York, visit the National H.I.R.E. Network's web site. The site's Resource Assistance page can direct you to resources in your state.

Note: The center cannot respond to requests for assistance sent to the Legal Action Center’s e-mail address or website.

 

LAC Store

Books and Videos for Purchase


New Edition: Confidentiality and Communication
A Guide to the Federal Alcohol & Drug Confidentiality Law and HIPAA. Revised 2006.

Online Courseware

"Introduction to Confidentiality" and "Advanced Confidentiality"



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