Urban Justice Center
| Founded | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit |
| Location |
|
| Services | Legal aid Class action litigation Legislative advocacy Community education |
Key people | Douglas Lasdon, Executive Director and Founder |
| Staff | 100+ |
| Website | urbanjustice |
The Urban Justice Center is a non-profit legal services and advocacy organization serving the New York City area. It is known as a breeding ground for progressive programs and initiatives and for being a significant legal presence in the struggles of New York's poverty stricken and minority populations.[1]
History
Founded in 1984 as the Legal Action Center for the Homeless by Douglas Lasdon, the Urban Justice Center (UJC) works for vulnerable New Yorkers through direct civil legal, political organizing, legislative advocacy and policy education. Some of the UJC's important legal victories in aid of the indigent include Doe v. City of New York, Tolle v. Dinkins, and joint legal action with other groups against the Grand Central Partnership and the 34th Street Partnership for hiring homeless employees at $1 and hour.[1] The UJC's community building and immigrant aid programming was also recently recognized by New York City by their naming as finalists in the Competition THRIVE.[2]
Originally operating from a burned-out building in Harlem staffed only by Lasdon the UJC has relocated to Lower Manhattan and as of 2013 has a staff of over 100 with an operating budget of over $7.5 million. The UJC has provided 96,000 people with community legal education and has closed 8,881 cases thus far. Real estate deals undertaken by Lasdon in 2007 led to the $5.7 million sale, close to 10 times the initial amount paid for, of the UJC office space at 666 Broadway in 1997. The UJC's headquarters are located on Rector Street, and were purchased with its real estate profits and a $5 million grant from New York City.[3]
Organization
The UJC is made up of 10 anti-poverty projects devoted to specific goals and clientele. Projects are led by directors who are empowered to manage the staffing, fundraising and advocacy work for their individual projects almost autonomously. The Executive Office of the UJC provides overhead funding for the organization and overall mission direction. The Executive Office led by the UJC’s Founder and Executive Director along with two Associate Directors and maintains a support staff of administrators, development and financial officers.[4]
Executive Office directors
- Douglas Lasdon, Executive Director and Founder[5]
- Harvey Epstein, Associate Director and Community Development Project Director
- Madeline Garcia Bigelow, Associate Director and Domestic Violence Project Director[4]
Project directors
- Shani Jamila, Human Rights Project Director[6]
- Becca Heller, Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project Director[7]
- Mary Beth Anderson, Mental Health Project Director[8]
- Lee C. Strock, Peter Cicchino Youth Project Director[9]
- Denise M. Miranda, Safety Net Project Director[10]
- Sienna Baskin, Sex Workers Project Co-Director[11]
- Crystal DeBoise, Sex Workers Project Co-Director[12]
- Sean Basinski, Street Vendor Project Director[13]
- Coco Culhane, Veteran Advocacy Project Director[14]
Notable alumni
- Cory Booker, United States Senator from New Jersey, former UJC Staff Attorney[15]
- Raymond Brescia, Law professor, former UJC Associate Director and Community Development Project Director[16]
- Sally Kohn, Political commentator, former UJC Consultant[17]
- Erin Siegal McIntyre, Photographer and writer, co-director and co-producer of the UJC funded documentary "Taking the Pledge"[18]
References
- ^ a b Wadler, Joyce (31 October 2000). "Ferreting Out the Legal Rights of the Poor". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Furman, Phyllis (2 July 2014). "Five local organizations named as finalists in city contest aimed at lifting immigrant entrepreneurs". New York Daily News. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Pristin, Terry (4 April 2007). "Nonprofit Doesn't Mean You Can't Wheel and Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ a b Scaglione, Fred (31 July 2012). "Urban Justice Center Names Two Associate Directors". New York Nonprofit Press. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Rogers, Abby (11 July 2012). "This Prominent Legal Advocate For New York's Homeless Tells Us Which NYC Mayor He Hates The Most". Business Insider. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "A-Grade Rating Past and Present City Council Members Reaffirm Commitment to Advocating for Human Rights". New York Amsterdam News. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Sawyers, Sophie (12 February 2013). "Interning to help Iraqi refugees: promoting the common good at home and abroad". The Bodoin Orient. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Profiles, Faculty. "Mary Beth Anderson". Practising Law Institute. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Searchable Database, NYC Campaign Finance Board. "Lee C. Strock" (PDF). East Harlem Preservation. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Heads of NYCHA, HPD, HDC Housing 'Dream Team". African American Planning Commission (AAPCI). Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Baskin, Sienna (10 August 2009). "Sienna Baskin, Christa Douaihy". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Reddy, Sumathi (10 August 2009). "Women in sex-slave case could be eligible for visas"". Newsday. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Richardson, Lynda (5 November 2004). "A Graduate of Law School and the Burrito Cart". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Helping the City Help Its Veterans". NY Community Trust. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Mount Union Announces Schooler Lecturer". University of Mount Union. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Ramirez, Anthony (5 May 2006). "Big Cases, Small Pay, and a Lawyer Happy With Both". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Sally Kohn Bio". Politico - Arena. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ An Evening of Sex Workers, Pay As You Go. "Pay As You Go Redux". Brown Paper Tickets. Retrieved 7 August 2014.