At The Legal Aid Society our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for those who feel neglected —regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives. We have an intrinsic connection to the daily lives of New Yorkers. Here are a few of the places we made a difference, provided context or added valuable perspective this week:

As COVID-19 spreads at city jails, LAS files multiple suits to release incarcerated New Yorkers

Queens Daily Eagle: Manhattan judge orders release of 16 Rikers inmates
Independent: New York prison infections surging as mayor moves to release more inmates
CBS: Coronavirus Update: Rikers Island Rate Of Infection 7 Times Higher Than Citywide
The Appeal: New York City Jails Have an Alarming High Infection Rate
CBS 880: New York City Frees 200 Inmates; Advocates Urge Juveniles Be Released
Queens Daily Eagle: Jail oversight commissioner urges large-scale Rikers release
CNN: Trump administration: Increase home confinement for inmates to slow coronavirus
City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Jail Population Hits Milestone as Releases Slowly Mount
NJ Record: Judge frees 10 ICE detainees with health issues to protect them from coronavirus
The Chief: 1,000 Detainees Could Be Released From City Jails in Coming Days
Greenpoint Post: City to Release 300 More Inmates from Rikers
The Indypedent: Inmates on Rikers Island are Fighting for Soap
NYDN: Coronavirus drives Legal Aid to call for release of 116 NYC inmates and state parolees: suit
City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Suit Filed to Free 116 From Rikers, Citing COVID Threat
NY Post: DOC sued for release of 116 at-risk inmates amid coronavirus spread
NYLJ: LAS Sues for Release of NYC Inmates, Saying Coronavirus Mitigation ‘Virtually Impossible’
Gothamist: De Blasio Accused Of Dithering On Release Of Vulnerable Detainees
Al Jazeera: Coronavirus prison cases raise alarms, calls for inmate release
NY Post: Officials approve release of more than 50 Rikers inmates over coronavirus fears
NY Post: 2 more NYC correction department staffers test positive for coronavirus
NY Post: First federal inmate tests positive for coronavirus
The Hill: Advocates warn of coronavirus threat to inmates
NBC: 21 Inmates, 17 Employees Test Positive for COVID-19 on Rikers Island: Officials
NY Post: NYC jails see outbreak of coronavirus cases with exponential increase expected
Gothamist: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Rise In NYC Jails
AMNY: Three New York Congress members tell feds to spring non-violent offenders from jail
NYDN: ‘Everyone is afraid’: coronavirus upends, overwhelms NYC jail system
Black Enterprise: Coronavirus is Putting the US Prison Population at Risk
ABC News: How the coronavirus outbreak is affecting the U.S. criminal justice system
NJ: Hudson County jail to begin releasing inmates Tuesday 
Daily Mail: New Jersey becomes latest state to release inmates to battle coronavirus:
Documented NY: As Coronavirus Threat Loomed, Detainee Says NJ Jail Made No Changes
Gay City News: Advocates Demand Help for Vulnerable Prisoners, Homeless Folks
NY Post: Group files second lawsuit to release coronavirus-endangered inmates
NYLJ: Legal Aid Files New Petition for Group Release as Coronavirus Spreads at Rikers Island
NY Daily News: Coronavirus drives de Blasio to release 300 more people from NYC jails
WSJ: Coronavirus Spreads Among Rikers Inmates, Staff
NJ Record: ICE detainees in N.J. ask courts for release as coronavirus spreads
NY1: Mayor To Release Some Rikers Inmates as Coronavirus Cases in City Jails Rise
City Limits – Opinion: Cuomo Must Act to Save Jailed Parolees from COVID-19
NY Daily News: Coronavirus 7 times more widespread in city jails than in rest of NYC: Legal Aid
QNS: City to release 300 nonviolent inmates on Rikers due to COVID-19 pandemic
THE CITY: Teens Sue to Exit Detention Centers as Coronavirus Closes In
NY Post: New coronavirus cases in NYC jails outpacing rest of the city
The Daily Beast: The Coronavirus and Packed Prisons Make a Lethal Combination

COVID-19 forces changes to NYC court system

The Appeal: ‘Immigration Judges Want All Courts Shut Down as Coronavirus Cases Soar
Law 360: NY Gov. Pauses Court Deadlines Over COVID-19
NYDN: Social distancing to prevent coronavirus spread isn’t happening in NYC courts
Law360: How Coronavirus May Change Criminal Justice
The Appeal: New York City Courts Still Dangerous for Spread of Coronavirus

COVID-19 presents challenges for NYC tenants 

6SQ: Lawmakers, advocates demand rent freeze for New Yorkers affected by coronavirus
NYDN: Make the coronavirus eviction moratorium real
Curbed: What NYC renters need to know during the coronavirus pandemic
Brownstoner: Here’s What to Do If You Can’t Pay Rent or Mortgage Due to Coronavirus
New Yorker: How Do You Shelter in Place When You Don’t Have a Home?
Gothamist: State Lawmakers Pushing For Coronavirus Rent Cancellation Say Cuomo Is MIA
Gothamist: Landlord Worth $1 Billion Exploits Coronavirus Panic To Jack Up Rent 25 Percent

LAS files to free vulnerable juveniles amid COVID-19 outbreak

NY Post: Legal Aid Society sues ACS to release juveniles amid coronavirus crisis
Chronicle of Social Change: Panic, Frantic Calls as New York Foster Youth Ousted from Dorms
Patch: Free Juvenile Delinquents Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Suit Asks

Immigrant detainees stage hunger strike to protest dangerous conditions 

VICE: Immigrants Are Now on Hunger Strike in 3 ICE Detention Centers Over Coronavirus Fears
NYDN: Immigrant describes shoddy efforts to fight coronavirus at ICE jail

More LAS in the news

AP: Non-essential employees must stay home; gatherings banned
City Limits: The Coronavirus Thread: Comptroller Sees Billions in Revenue Loss to City
Daily Mail: Cops will start using DRONES fitted with night-vision cameras to patrol neighborhoods
Columbia Spectator: Experts say public urgency has led to unfair treatment of youth suspects