ADVISORY: UAW Legal Services Workers to Rally with AG Letitia James and Other Guests, to Demand Justice for Vulnerable New Yorkers and Fair Contracts for Legal Advocates

NEW YORK, NY – On Tuesday, legal services workers with the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 (ALAA) will rally to demand the funding, staffing, and support necessary to continue fighting for justice for low-income New Yorkers. AG Letitia James will be among the lineup of supporters for ALAA members.

WHAT: Rally with ALAA-UAW Local 2325 members 

WHO: UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla, members and leaders of ALAA-UAW Local 2325, NY AG Letitia James 

WHEN: Tuesday, July 15, 9:30 AM ET 

WHERE: 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278 

ALAA represents over 2,000 public interest attorneys and legal advocates in the New York City metro area. Every day, its members provide free legal representation to tenants facing eviction, immigrants at risk of deportation, families navigating child welfare and custody cases, survivors of domestic violence, the unhoused, and people seeking access to health care, disability benefits, and other critical services. 

They represent New Yorkers in housing court, family court, civil and criminal courts, and administrative hearings related to welfare, unemployment, Social Security, Medicaid, and more. These legal advocates practice across a wide range of areas, including housing, criminal defense, reentry, elder law, immigration, employment, and civil rights. 

Underfunded for decades, these legal services workers are demanding fair wages, adequate resources, and staffing to reduce burnout and high turnover—issues that directly impact the quality of representation their clients receive. As the cost of living rises and the city’s legal services funding lags, they are taking action to ensure all New Yorkers—especially working-class communities targeted by the Trump Administration’s harmful policies—have real access to justice. 

While negotiations are currently ongoing, nine chapters of ALAA - UAW Local 2325 could go on strike as early as next week. These members are workers at Goddard Riverside Law Project, NYLAG, Urban Justice Center, Center for Appellate Litigation, Appellate Advocates, Office of the Appellate Defender, CAMBA, and Bronx Defenders, and the Legal Aid Society.  

Support for the union members continues to grow. New York Attorney General Letitia James recently voiced her backing for legal services workers, calling them “champions of vulnerable New Yorkers” who “deserve dignity, fair pay, and conditions that reflect the value of their tireless service.” 

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