History
Legal Equality Advocacy Firm, Inc. (LEAF) provides legal services to meet the needs of litigants with limited financial means. While other programs provide litigants living in poverty free representation and some advice on civil legal issues, there are few programs that assist people who would not be eligible for free legal representation. LEAF offers reduced fee legal services in: Family Court, Matrimonial matters, Education Law proceedings, Civil Rights enforcement cases, and to individuals seeking public benefits, disability benefits or health care services or equipment
Litigants must meet financial guidelines in order to qualify for services and reside in the capital district of New York. Individuals with income below 500% of the poverty guidelines and without accessible resources to fully fund the costs of litigation. While private law firms may charge over $250.00 per hour. LEAF rates will be more affordable. LEAF’s fee structure enables us to charge rates ranging from as little as $50.00 per hour and up to $200.00 per hour depending on your income and resources.
Given our limited resources, we may need to use a waiting list for clients. LEAF will work closely with our clients to identify client’s objectives and the most efficient way to accomplish these objectives so that excessive time is not spent on the litigation and hours are kept to a minimum. Furthermore, the staff at LEAF have extensive knowledge of the legal services programs within the capital district and will refer applicants to less expensive services when possible.
This program was inspired by the work of New York State’s Chief Judge Hon. Janet Fiore, the Chief Administrative Judge of New York’s Third Judicial District Hon. Thomas A. Breslin, and Co-chairs of the Third Judicial District’s Access to Justice Modest Means Sub Committee Hon. Christina Ryba, Supreme Court Judge and Deborah Kearns, Chief Clerk of Albany County Surrogate’s Court. These individuals have provided leadership and commitment to bridging the access to justice gap and ensuring that all New Yorkers have meaningful access to the courts and the legal assistance they need to secure the essentials of life.
The Federal Reserve Board's latest Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households found that faced with an unexpected expense of $400. Forty-nine percent of the individuals surveyed indicated that they would not be able to pay the expense with cash, savings, or a credit card paid off at the next statement. Of these surveyed individuals 27 percent would borrow or sell something, and 12 percent would not be able to cover the expense at all. Given that a survey of individuals recently divorced showed that a typical divorce costs each litigant over $12,000 in attorney fees, it is easy to see how a family with modest income can find it impossible to pay legal fees without going into significant debt.
LEAF is fully supported by the fees that it gathers and is limited to a small number of attorneys. Representation will be provided to eligible individuals on a first come first served basis.
Founder and Board
Founder
Bridgit M. Burke, Esq.
Bridgit has been practicing public interest law since 1990 when she graduated from Law School.. With extensive experience in disability law (special education, anti-discrimination, funding medical services and durable medical equipment), public benefits law (unemployment, medicare, food stamps etc.), family law (support, custody, guardianship and matrimonial) and Civil Rights Law. She served as the Director of the Civil Rights and Disability Law Project and a Co-Director of the Albany Law School Clinical Program and Legal Director of The Legal Project, Inc.
Education
Albany Law School Juris Doctorate 1989
Long Island University
B.S. 1986
Activities & Affiliations
• Mediation Matters, Volunteer Mediator
• Town of New Scotland Zoning Board of Appeals
• Albany Law School, Professor Emeritus
Board Of Directors
Dr. Ken Schick
Dr. Schick was a member of the Union College Physics Department from 1959 to 2000. He retired in 2000 . Since his retirement he as served on a number of non profit boards and continued to review physics text books.
Education
Board Of Directors
Prof. Nancy Maurer, Esq.
Nancy directs Albany Law School’s Field Placement and Pro Bono Scholars programs and teaches courses in Negotiating for Lawyers and Legal Issues in Medicine.She founded and for many years directed the Civil Rights and Disabilities Law Clinic in which law students, working under faculty supervision, represented clients in discrimination, public entitlements, education or other disability rights matters. She has also directed the law school’s Clinical programs. She is an editor of the New York State Bar Association three book series DISABILITY LAW AND PRACTICE (book three forthcoming). Professor Maurer is the 2015 recipient of the Albany Law Faculty Excellence in Service Award.
Nancy practiced law with Legal Services in Charleston, S.C. and later served as staff attorney for New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for People with Disabilities. She is a member and former co-chair of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Disability Rights and Serves on the Board of Directors of Disability Rights New York, Inc.
Education
B.A., Middlebury College
J.D., George Washington University National Law Center
Activities & Affiliations
• New York State Bar Association Committee on Disability Rights
• Board of Directors Disabiliy Rights New York, Inc.
Board Member
Justin Myers
Justin Myers, Esq. is an associate with Barbaruolo Law Firm, P. C. in Latham, New York, and is currently the President of the Capital Region Bankruptcy Bar Association. In 2015, Justin was named a Top Rated Bankruptcy “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers.com. In 2019 Justin was honored by The Legal Project, Inc. with the Kurt Clobridge Memorial Award for Pro Bono Service.
He concentrates his practice in the fields of bankruptcy, mortgage modification and residential foreclosure defense. Justin volunteers regularly at the Legal Project bankruptcy clinic, and lectures on the topics of Loss Mitigation, Mortgage Modification, and Residential Foreclosure Defense.
Prior to joining the Barbaruolo Law Firm, Justin was a Clinical Graduate Fellow with the Law Clinic & Justice Center of Albany Law School, during which time he represented children in special education matters, and adults with developmental disabilities. Justin earned his J.D. degree from Albany Law School in 2007. While at Albany Law, Justin was the recipient of the Clinical Legal Education Association’s 2007 Outstanding Clinical Student Award, and the 2006 LASSNY Children’s Law Fellowship. Justin was also a founding member of Albany Law’s Pro Bono Society.
Justin is admitted to practice in the courts of New York State, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
Education
ALBANY LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctor, 2007