2021 Honoree New Haven Legal Assistance Association
New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Inc. (NHLAA) is a nonprofit organization that was incorporated on April 7, 1964 to “secure justice for and to protect the rights of those residents of New Haven County unable to engage legal counsel.” NHLAA was one of the first legal services programs established and the federal government used it as a model for similar programs throughout the country. NHLAA is an office of attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries committed to protecting the rights and improving the lives of our client communities. Many of its staff have been with the organization for more than twenty years.
NHLAA offers free, high-quality legal services to people living in poverty in New Haven County and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. They strive to provide equal access to the justice system, enhance the rights and living conditions of their client community, and help that client community protect their own rights. NHLAA accomplishes these goals by providing legal advice, brief service, and full representation to individual clients; strategically prioritizing legal work that will make systemic improvements benefitting large numbers of low-income people; and engaging in community education and outreach. NHLAA represents seniors, people with mental and physical disabilities, children, domestic violence survivors, immigrants, low-wage workers, families at risk of homelessness, and individuals who face additional challenges to representing themselves, such as those with limited English proficiency.
The organization relies on private donations and grants to support its work.
