Women's History Month 2024

Step into the spotlight as we celebrate Women’s History Month 2024! Join us in honoring the remarkable contributions, resilience, and achievements of women throughout history. From trailblazing leaders to unsung heroes, this month is a tribute to the extraordinary women who have shaped our world. Let’s come together to recognize their accomplishments, inspire future generations, and empower women everywhere.

#BlackLivesMatter

Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo’s mission is to pursue justice to improve lives for low-income people in Western New York through legal assistance and advocacy. This mission will never be fully achieved until the structural racism that is at the very core of the legal system and our country is dismantled. (Know Your Rights While Protesting)

Project Thrive Children’s Fund 2023

The Legal Aid Bureau proudly launches our 2023 campaign, the Project Thrive Initiative, dedicated to enriching the lives of children in our care. Your support of the Project Thrive Children’s Fund is essential, providing critical resources and opportunities to children in child welfare, juvenile justice, and education programs. Your contribution to this campaign is more important than ever, helping us sustain and expand our impactful work.

Host Homes Lawsuit

We just filed a lawsuit to stop @NYSOCFS #HostHomes program, which creates a shadow fostercare family separation system w/o the critical protections for children & parents. Shadow fostercare doesn’t support family reunification or keep families together. Legal voluntary foster care placements ensure oversight, lawyers for children & parents, regular hearings, prioritizing placing children w/ extended family, & referrals to services. Host homes offer none of these protections and must be stopped.

New Yorkers Challenging Wrongful Convictions

New York has the third-highest number of wrongful convictions in the nation. Currently, the law makes it effectively impossible for innocent people who pleaded guilty and do not have the benefit of DNA evidence, to challenge their convictions in court. This prevents countless people with credible innocence claims from getting relief in court.

United in passion, we are a team of dedicated nonprofit attorneys, social workers, and advocates for justice, committed to making a difference!

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Latest News

A Win for Justice

A Win for Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A win for judicial process was marked on July 6, 2023, with the unanimous reversal of the conviction of Gregory Ramos. In People v Gregory Ramos, the weight of the evidence lay against the testimony of a jailhouse informant that the court...

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Transforming Young Lives

Transforming Young Lives

The Education Advocacy Program of the Legal Aid Bureau represents students at long-term suspension hearings, including clients ranging from autistic Kindergarteners to parenting high school students, each with a unique story and individualized needs that are not being...

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What We Do

Defense of the Accused and Incarcerated

Defense of the Accused and Incarcerated

The largest provider of such services in WNY, we represent individuals charged with offenses within the City of Buffalo.

Appeals

Appeals

The Legal Aid Bureau is the largest provider in Erie, Genesee, Cattaraugus, and Orleans Counties of criminal appellate services for indigent defendants.

Reentry

Reentry

We assist formerly incarcerated individuals and veterans with child support, housing, DMV suspensions, employment and Certificates of Relief.

Attorneys for Children

Attorneys for Children

The Attorneys for Children of the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo are appointed to represent children in Family Court.

Immigration

Immigration

We provide a range of assistance to immigrants, refugees, and Limited English Proficient populations.

Housing Rights

Housing Rights

We represent qualifying homeowners facing code violation actions, landlord/tenant matters, and tax foreclosure.

Family Stability

Family Stability

Our Family Law Section attorneys have experience handling complex divorce, separation, visitation, and custody cases.

Workers' Rights

Workers' Rights

We assist with unemployment benefits, worker rights, and removing barriers to employment.

Consumer Rights

Consumer Rights

We provide mortgage foreclosure defense, bankruptcy protection, and help homeowners obtain mortgage modifications.

Education

Education

We provide assistance with school suspensions and violations of education law.

Contact Us Today!

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You can read our most recent impact report here: 2018 Impact Report.

Attorney Resources – New Partnership Annoucement

WNY Regional Immigration Center

The Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo (LABB) and the Ontario County Public Defender’s Office (OCPD), both institutional providers of criminal defense services, are very pleased to announce that we have been awarded funding from the NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services to establish a Regional Immigration Assistance Center (RIAC) serving the 7th and 8th Judicial Districts. The WNY Regional Immigration Assistance Center will provide individual case assistance, training, consultations, and support to appointed criminal defense counsel and Family Court attorneys in their representation of non-citizen clients.  These services are free to all counsel appointed to represent indigent non-citizen clients in Criminal and Family Court proceedings.

Video Resources

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