Can Public Schools Exclude Immigrant Children?

The New York Times reports that some New York school districts are demanding that immigrant parents prove their child is ‘legal’ before enrolling the child in school.  Other schools are asking for information that some immigrant children might be unable to provide. So, can public schools exclude immigrant children? What about ‘illegal’ or undocumented children? [...]

Who Are Domestic Workers and What Are Their Rights?

Domestic workers are all around us.  They are the nannies and caregivers taking care of our children and the elderly and the cleaners and homeworkers helping us maintain our homes.  Like farm workers, domestic workers are often overlooked but are  undeniable there. Recently, New York State has moved one step closer to being the first [...]

As Promised: Pet Law in New York City!

While most of LawHelp/NY’s housing resources focus on the housing rights of humans, our non-human companions enjoy some legal protections, too.  In NYC, tenants who have lived openly and notoriously with a pet may be able to defeat a no-pet clause in a lease.  Residents of NYCHA buildings can have one dog or one cat [...]

Bedbugs and Tenants’ Rights

The New York State Legislature recently passed a bedbug disclosure measure, which will require landlords to warn prospective tenants if any apartments in the building had experienced a bedbug infestation in the past year. When signed into law, the measure should help encourage landlords to fight the bedbug epidemic. Hopefully it will also keep tenants [...]

Are you plagued by consumer debt? Are you getting harrassing phone calls? Click here to learn how you can find help

If you are plagued by consumer debt and harassing phone calls, visit LawHelp/NY (www.LawHelp.org/NY then click on the Consumer topic). This topic has resources that can help, such as “Debt Collection Basics” and “What Bill Collectors Can and Cannot Do If You Owe Money,” and much more. There’s a section on what to do if [...]

Resource Fair for Seniors in New York City

Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman & State Senator Daniel Squadron invite you to their Senior Resource Fair Friday, June 25, 2010 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. St. Francis College 182 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights (Between Court and Clinton Streets) FREE Admission (No Registration Required) FREE Giveaways and Light Refreshments FREE Information and Assistance from: NYC Dept. for the [...]

Are you wondering why you have received a $250 rebate check from Medicare?

The new health care reform law passed earlier this year requires that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) send a $250 one-time-only rebate check to people with Medicare who have entered the coverage gap (doughnut hole) in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit this year. The first set of checks will be [...]

Avoiding Medicare fraud

Seniors are often vulnerable to different kinds of consumer frauds. A common and less-known type of fraud affecting seniors is Medicare fraud. The national non for profit advocacy group Medicare Watch provides the following tips to ensure you or a loved one can be protected against fraudulent Medicare practices: Be aware: Anyone can be a [...]

Welcome to the LawHelp New York Blog

LawHelp/NY is  New York State’s legal aid website project, with legal information websites in English: www.LawHelp.org/NY and Spanish:  www.AyudaLegalNY.org.   These websites provide information about how to find free legal aid attorneys in all 62 counties of the state. The site is designed to help in specific areas of law, such as Housing, Consumer or [...]