Maiffn Area

Jill Paperno Joins Empire Justice Center as New Civil Rights Practice Senior Litigator

Posted on May 12th, 2022

Disability Law News – April 2022

Posted on May 2nd, 2022

The Disability Law News is published four times per year for disability advocates across New York State.

To download the April 2022 issue, click here!

Policy Matters – April 2022

Posted on April 29th, 2022

Welcome to the April edition of our newsletter, Policy Matters. In this edition we cover the end of welfare mortgages in New York State, a final 2022 budget wrap-up, working to end abusive auto industry practices, and a training on coordinating HIV health benefits for people who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.

Read the full newsletter here: Policy Matters – April 2022

Screenshot of a Zoom-style conference call. Ruhi Maker, a South-Asian woman with grey hair and glasses, is one of the speakers.

STATEMENT: 2022 NYS Budget

Posted on April 11th, 2022

2022 New York State Budget:

Good Budget for Many Programs Benefitting Low-Income New Yorkers; Must Do More for Immigrants

“This year’s budget process was demonstrably different than the previous fifteen, resulting in a number of key investments. I appreciate the Governor proactively including programs benefitting low-income New Yorkers, and the legislature’s steadfast support. In some issue areas where we saw progress, Empire Justice Center attorneys and staff have worked on them for a close to a decade. Increased funding for disability appeals advocacy, eviction and foreclosure prevention, and consumer health advocacy will meaningfully help more people receive the right kind of services they need. Going forward, we must focus on raising the cash grant for public benefits recipients, overhauling unfair unemployment overpayment rules, and be inclusive of all immigrant New Yorkers. I also want to extend my gratitude to Assembly Health Chair Dick Gottfried as he serves his last term this year. It was my privilege to have worked with one of the most devoted and knowledgeable legislators to advance so many important services for client communities across New York State,” said Kristin Brown, President and CEO of Empire Justice Center.

Full Statement here: STATEMENT: 2022 NYS Budget – Empire Justice Center

Policy Matters – March 2022

Posted on March 31st, 2022

Welcome to the March edition of our newsletter, Policy Matters. In this edition we’ll cover the rapidly approaching end of budget season, an important settlement for students with disabilities in Rochester, crime victims advocacy trainings, and a last chance at free tax preparation help for folks in Rochester.

Read the full newsletter: Policy Matters – March 2022

PRESS RELEASE: $2 million in Federal and State Tax Returns claimed by Rochester residents through the CASH program

Posted on February 16th, 2022

For Immediate Release: February 16, 2022

Contact: Lacie White, CASH Marketing Communications Manager, lwhite@empirejustice.org

$2 million in Federal and State Tax Returns

claimed by Rochester residents through the CASH program

Free tax-prep service available for low-income Rochester residents

Rochester, NY– Since opening on January 24^th, families in the Rochester community have claimed over $2 million in Federal and State Tax Refunds through the CASH program. CASH is open for in-person and virtual tax preparation services with the help of over 80 volunteers, interns, and staff members who have contributed over 2000 hours and prepared over 500 returns in the first three weeks of opening.

“Just three weeks into the tax season it has been remarkable to watch our staff and volunteers work alongside our clients to connect them to the tax credits they have earned while saving them over $175,000 in processing fees,” said CASH Director, Yversha Roman. “As we know, every dollar back into the hands of our families equates to more secure housing, food on the table, and overall financial health.”

CASH (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) is a community coalition led by the Empire Justice Center. CASH partners with over 40 organizations, including United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, to offer free high-quality tax return preparation services that make tax filing easy to do and understand. These services ensure that Monroe County residents collect all the tax credits for which they are eligible, including the Advanced Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. In addition to providing year-round tax advice and preparation, CASH connects clients to community partners with resources that can improve their financial well-being. These services include savings programs, health care, financial literacy, public benefits, and job counseling.

“We are proud to be able to support CASH and help directly combat some of the challenges of poverty we face as a region,” said Jaime Saunders, President, and CEO of United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes. “Thank you to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers working at the C.A.S.H. sites, and to our donors who help to make these tax preparation and financial security programs possible, so working families get the money they deserve in tax returns and Earned Income Tax Credits.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, CASH is accommodating clients by appointment only. To schedule an appointment call 585-900-1004 or visit https://cashtaxprep2021.as.me/TaxPrep. Visit the website at https://empirejustice.org/cash/ for more information on available services and to learn more about how to volunteer with CASH.

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Empire Justice Center is a statewide, multi-issue, multi-strategy, public interest law firm focused on changing the “systems” within which poor and low-income families live. Empire Justice protects and strengthens the legal rights of people in New York State who are poor, disabled, or disenfranchised through systems change advocacy, training, and support to other advocates and organizations, and high-quality direct civil legal representation. Learn more about CASH at empirejustice.org/cash. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Taxes sign surrounded by cash dollar amounts

Disability Law News – January 2022

Posted on January 30th, 2022

The Disability Law News is published four times per year for disability advocates across New York State.

To download the January 2022 issue, click here!

Class Notice in N.N. et. al. v. Rochester City School District et. al

Posted on December 18th, 2020

Empire Justice Center has reached a preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed that the Rochester City School District denied students with disabilities and parents of students with disabilities their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The case is called N.N. et. al. v. Rochester City School District et. al, No. 6:19-cv-06526-DGL

If you are, were, or will be a student with disabilities or a parent of students with disabilities in the Rochester City School District (the District) between July 16, 2017 and the present, you should read this notice. The Court ordered that this Notice to Classes about the Settlement and the Final Approval Hearing, available in English here and in Spanish here, be provided to class members. Class members can also review the full settlement agreement submitted to the Court here, be provided to the class members.

If you are a parent of students with disabilities or a student with disabilities in the Rochester City School District and have questions about this lawsuit, you can contact us by calling (585) 454-4060.

Class Notice – ENGLISH

AVISO DE ACUERDO PROPUESTO DE ACCIÓN COLECTIVA