Urban Justice Center
For 30 years, the Urban Justice Center has served New York City's most vulnerable residents through a combination of direct legal service, systemic advocacy, community education and political organizing. We assist our clients on numerous levels, from one-on-one legal advice in soup kitchens, to helping individuals access housing and government assistance, to filing class action lawsuits to bring about systemic change.
The UJC is composed of ten distinct Projects. The Projects are part of a unique organizational structure intended to foster creativity, excellence and ultimately meaningful results. The system requires the Project Directors to raise their own budgets in exchange for the freedom to direct and operate their Project as they see fit. The extraordinary level of autonomy has led to an unparalleled sense of ownership, translating to heightened motivation, risk taking, visionary thinking and general excellence.
The UJC represents an extraordinary array of the most deprived and abused people in our society, including members of the working poor, and issues related to discrimination and oppression. We often defend the rights of people who are overlooked or turned away by other organizations. The Urban Justice Center reaches a wide-ranging client base through the following Projects:
Community Development Project
Domestic Violence Project
Safety Net Project
Human Rights Project
International Refugee Assistance Project
Mental Health Project
Peter Cicchino Youth Project
Sex Workers Project
Street Vendor Project
Veteran Advocacy Project
Each year, our cumulative work results in thousands of victories on behalf of individual clients, as well as groundbreaking reforms that affect public policy nationwide.