Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.

08/23/2026

📝August is National Make-A-Will Month! Now is the perfect time to plan for your family's future. At United Way of Tompkins County, our Financial Opportunity work focuses on connecting our community to education, training, and resources that help strengthen the financial future for all generations.

✨This month, we are proud to highlight our impact partner, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY)! They offer free legal help and estate planning services to eligible community members in Ithaca and across Tompkins and Tioga counties.

👉Head to the 🔗 link in the comments to explore resources available through LawNY’s Ithaca office! Please share with others whom you think might benefit from these services.

08/20/2026

🎡 Heading to the Bath fair this week? Come say hi!

We’ll be there with FREE swag, legal information, and helpful resources for our community. ⚖️💙

Stop by our table, grab some goodies, and meet the team!

08/14/2026

Check out this article on one of our previous AmeriCorps members! 😎

We love seeing what our previous AmeriCorps members are up to after their time serving in our offices! Brett Dunham was an AmeriCorps member in our Geneva Office, and we are incredibly grateful for his hard work in serving our clients!

https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/202607/brett-dunham-29-defies-odds-journey-law-school

Brett Dunham, the son of a candymaker, overcame the odds to become a Navy rescue swimmer, college graduate and now a first-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law.

08/12/2026

🏠 Join LawNY for a FREE Fair Housing Seminar!

We are pleased to offer an upcoming training focused on the fair housing rights of tenants and housing applicants with criminal legal system involvement.

This educational session will cover fair housing protections, common barriers individuals may face, and how federal and state fair housing laws may apply to criminal history in housing decisions.

Whether you're a tenant, housing applicant, advocate, or service provider, this seminar is a great opportunity to learn more about your rights and the protections available under fair housing laws.

You can attend in person or virtually. We hope to see you there!

📅 August 27, 2026
🕰 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
📍186-188 N. Water Street, Rochester NY, 14604

Please register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1uJBVukvPnaCtnEx1KPNpemtJkJBDdmmrPy-E3xpHLJw/viewform?edit_requested=true

08/02/2026

"'The launch of the Chemung County Landlord/Tenant Hub Court is an important opportunity to strengthen the landlord-tenant process for the entire community,' Lori O’Brien, executive director of Legal Assistance of Western New York Inc., said.

'A centralized court can create greater opportunities for people to access legal information and assistance, helping everyone better understand the process and their rights and responsibilities. We are excited about the opportunity to connect with more tenants earlier, provide meaningful legal guidance, and contribute to a system that is more accessible, efficient, and fair for everyone involved.'”

A new centralized court in Chemung County aims to expand legal access for tenants facing eviction proceedings.

07/29/2026

📣 Reminder! Our next community outreach event is tomorrow, and we'd love to see you there!

Bring a friend, family member, or neighbor to learn more about your fair housing rights.

📅 July 30, 2026
🕰 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM
📖 Steele Memorial Library
📍 101 E. Church Street, Elmira NY, 14901

07/22/2026

The Department of Development, in partnership with the Jamestown Police Department and LawNY, has been made aware of ongoing issues related to illegal evictions throughout the City. Illegal evictions are class A misdemeanors and can result in fines or jailtime.

It should be noted that property owners cannot request the department to condemn a property to remove unwanted tenants.

As a reminder, if a condemnation does occur with active tenants, it is the responsibility of the property owner to pay the relocation costs or move the tenants to a comparable unit.

It is illegal to:
• Threaten to, or turn off utilities
• Send threatening messages to leave
• Removing personal belongings
• Remove the door
• Change the lock
• Make the tenant uncomfortable through means of harassment until they leave
• Attempt to physically remove the tenant
• Threaten to have law enforcement remove tenants without a lawful court order
• Asking Code Enforcement to condemn to avoid a proper eviction

It is the property owner’s responsibility to make essential repairs and provide a habitable space. Tenants should care for their space by keeping it clean, tidy, and safe, and report any deficiencies to their landlord, property manager, or code enforcement.

07/21/2026

07/18/2026

Congratulations to our very own Executive Director, Lori M. O’Brien, for being named on The Daily Record and Rochester Business Journal’s Power 50 Law list!

https://rbj.net/2026/07/17/lori-obrien/

Listen to this article Executive Director, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. Years in current role: 3 What changes in the legal industry do you believe will have the […]

07/16/2026

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Fair Housing training to learn more about your rights as a tenant!

We're covering how to avoid housing denials and discrimination based on criminal system involvement and source of income.

We hope to see you there!

📖 Steele Memorial Library
📅 July 30, 2026
📍 101 E. Church Street, Elmira NY, 14901
🕰 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM