The funds we raise in the Economic Justice Campaign will help us provide legal assistance to more individuals who need our help. The current economy increases the already steep financial pressures on poor and low-income people, and we need to be equipped to meet the growing needs. Our communities look to us for these services and we stand ready to help. If you want to contribute to this critical campaign, please click here to donate now.

• $1 Million Access to Justice Campaign Completed:: LSHV announced at the April 9, 2008, Third Annual Access to Justice Dinner (see below), that it has reached its campaign goal of raising $1 Million to support its mission to provide free civil legal services to poor and low-income people in the community. At the Dinner, LSHV Board President Alfred E. Donnellan, Esq., of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP, thanked the many members of the legal community for coming together to acknowledge the critical need for civil legal services for the poor. He also thanked the members of the Westchester, New York City, and Dutchess/Orange Campaign Committees of Westchester County, for their leadership and support in ensuring a successful campaign. For a list of Campaign Donors, click here.

Helping LSHV complete the Campaign Goal was the $200,000 Challenge Grant from Mrs. Patricia Lanza, a long-time supporter of the organization. At the Dinner, Barbara Finkelstein, Esq., LSHV Executive Director, thanked Mrs. Lanza for her generosity and leadership in providing legal services to the underserved. The Challenge Grant, which matched contributions to the Campaign on a dollar-for-dollar basis, encouraged other donors to give generously.

• LSHV Holds Third Annual Access to Justice Dinner:: LSHV’s Third Annual Access to Justice Dinner, held April 9, 2008, at the Hilton Rye Town, was a great success! Nearly 350 people attended the event, which featured Master of Ceremonies Henry G. Miller, Esq., of Clark, Gagliardi & Miller, P.C. At the Dinner, awards were presented to David Boies, Esq., of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Rosemarie Noonan, Esq., and Alan Gordon of the Housing Action Council, and Kraft Employee Fund Northeast. In addition, LSHV Executive Director Barbara Finkelstein updated guests on the outlook for civil legal services, and Surrogate Judge Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr., spoke about the Ninth Judicial District’s pro bono initiative. For photos of the Dinner, please click here.

During the Dinner Program, LSHV Executive Director Barbara Finkelstein, Esq., thanked Mrs. Patricia Lanza, whose $200,000 Challenge Grant helped bring the Access to Justice Campaign to completion, for her generosity and leadership in helping the underserved. In addition, LSHV Board President, Alfred E. Donnellan, Esq., of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP, thanked the many members of the legal community for coming together to acknowledge the critical need for civil legal services for poor people in our community.

The primary honoree of the evening, David Boies, Esq., received Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s Access to Justice Award for his extensive leadership in the legal community, his efforts to provide pro bono legal services to the community, and his strong commitment to ensuring that all people have equal access to the American legal system. David Boies is the founder and Chairman of the law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Boies has represented many high-profile clients; he is perhaps best known for serving as lead counsel for former Vice President Al Gore in connection with the litigation relating to the 2000 Presidential election and for serving as Special Trial Counsel for the United States Department of Justice in its successful antitrust suit against Microsoft. Mr. Boies gave an inspirational speech about the importance of free civil legal services to poor and low-income people, and thanked the staff attorneys who dedicate their careers to helping the underserved.

LSHV presented the Community Service Award to Rosemarie Noonan, Esq., Executive Director, and Alan Gordon, Deputy Director, of the Housing Action Council, an organization promoting access to affordable housing in Westchester, for their tireless efforts on behalf of disadvantaged people in our community. The Housing Action Council, a not-for-profit organization based in Tarrytown, NY, seeks to expand housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income households and special needs populations in the Hudson Region.

Also honored was Kraft Employee Fund Northeast (KEF NE), which received the Benefactor of Justice Award for its strong support of LSHV’s Elder Law Program. KEF NE is a charitable fund for Kraft Foods Inc. employees in its management centers in Tarrytown, NY, and East Hanover, NJ, providing opportunities for employees to support their local communities and be involved in the entire grant-making process. Mari Hourwitz, Chair of the Employee Campaign, accepted the award.

•Many thanks to the participants of our First Annual "Dine Out for Children" Event :: On February 26, 2008, Our inaugural “Dine Out for Children” Event was a great success. Thank you to all who supported this inaugural event! Proceeds from the Event will support our Children’s Advocacy Program in Westchester. Through the Children’s Advocacy Program, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley helps poor and low-income children obtain educational services, health care, financial support, and other basic needs that needy children too often do not receive.

Many thanks to the following restaurants for donating meals for our First Annual “Dine Out for Children” Event:

Aurora
Blue
Boe @ 324
Crabtree’s Kittle House
Emily Shaw’s Inn
Enzo’s Antichi Sapori
42 Restaurant
Global Gatherings
La Fontanella Inc.
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Sam’s of Gedney Way
Sushi Mike’s

And also many thanks to our donors who participated in this event ::
Dr. and Mrs. Anthony Attalienti
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Aurichio
Jerry Canavan
Will Cavanagh
Kevin Curley
Marilyn O’Connor Dimling
Kathleen Donelli
Alfred E. Donnellan
Timothy Fisher
Donna Frusco
Joshua E. Kimerling
William Jacobi
Lawrence McGovern
Richard G. Menaker
Hon. Sondra M. Miller
Mario and Maureen Murialdo
Robert Quaintance
Faith Ritchie
Bertrand Sellier
David R. Selznick
David Silk
John R. and Constance Vaughan
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Vaughan

Previous Events:
• Second Annual Mid-Hudson Partners in Justice Reception held October 24, 2007:: LSHV recently held its Second Annual Mid-Hudson Partners in Justice Reception to recognize and thank donors and pro bono attorneys in Dutchess, Ulster, Orange and Sullivan Counties. The reception, which was held at Anthony’s Pier Nine in New Windsor, NY, was attended by 100 people.

The first “Partner in Justice Award,” presented to Finkelstein & Partners for their generosity and their leadership role in our Access to Justice Campaign, was accepted by Managing Partner Andrew Finkelstein. Finkelstein & Partners, headquartered in Newburgh, NY, is the largest personal injury law firm in New York State. The firm has been a staunch supporter of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley and has helped promote our Access to Justice Campaign to area law firms. Presenting the award was LSHV Board Member David Posner, Esq., a partner in the Poughkeepsie, NY-based law firm of McCabe & Mack.

The second “Partner in Justice Award,” for excellent Pro Bono Services provided to the clients of LSHV, was presented to Mary Patricia Papini Guidetti, Esq., of the Law Offices of Mary Patricia Papini Guidetti, in Middletown, NY. The award was presented by LSHV Deputy Director Lewis Creekmore.

• LSHV Celebrates the Grand Opening of its new White Plains Office and Presents its Annual Partners in Justice Awards at a Reception :: Over 180 people attended LSHV’s Fourth Annual Lower-Hudson Partners in Justice Reception and Grand Opening ceremony on Wednesday, October 10, 2007, at our White Plains, NY, office, located at 90 Maple Avenue. Benchmark Title Agency, LLC, a premier title agency based in White Plains, sponsored the Reception. Various dignitaries, including Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano, and Hon. Francis Nicolai, Administrative Judge, Ninth Judicial District, joined us at the reception.

At the reception, our Partners in Justice Awards, honoring donors and pro bono attorneys who help LSHV serve our clients, were presented. The first award was presented to long-time LSHV Board Member and Past President Lawrence McGovern of McGovern & Dawson for his dedication and commitment to the indigent families of our area. Awards were also presented to Devon Salts, Esq., of the Law Office of Devon Salts, and Frances M. Pantaleo, Esq., of Walsh & Amicucci, LLP, for the outstanding pro bono services they have provided to LSHV clients.

To celebrate the Grand Opening, we had a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Robert Feder, Esq. of Cuddy & Feder, LLP, cutting the ribbon with LSHV Board members and Executive Director Barbara Finkelstein.

• Second Annual Access to Justice Fundraising Dinner :: On Wednesday, April 11, 2007, LSHV held its Second Annual Access to Justice Dinner and Fortieth Anniversary Celebration at the Rye Town Hilton.  Nearly 400 people attended the dinner, which was a great success. The dinner was a key part of LSHV’s Access to Justice Campaign, to aid LSHV in its mission to provide free civil legal services to low-income people in our community.  At the dinner, we honored Justice Sondra M. Miller (Access to Justice Award), Rosa W. Boone (Community Service Award), and The MBIA Foundation, Inc. (Benefactor of Justice Award).  Our Master of Ceremonies was Henry G. Miller, Esq. 

During the evening’s program, we welcomed our new Board President, Alfred E. Donnellan, Managing Partner of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP, of White Plains. LSHV Executive Director Barbara Finkelstein thanked outgoing Board President Robert Hermann, who has recently been appointed Director of the Governor's Office of Regulatory Reform, for his leadership and service to the organization. Mr. Hermann then introduced Lloyd Constantine, Senior Advisor to New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who spoke about the improving prospects for state funding of civil legal services. Also speaking at the dinner was an LSHV client who talked about how LSHV attorneys made a critical difference in her life, saving her from eviction and protecting her from domestic violence. 

Dinner Co-Chairs were Kathleen Donelli, Esq., of McCarthy Fingar LLP in White Plains, Adam Levy, Esq. of the Law Offices of Levy & Santoro in Carmel, Stephen Lowey, Esq. of Lowey Dannenberg Bemporad Selinger & Cohen, P.C. in White Plains, Gail Makode, Esq., Assistant General Counsel and Vice President, MBIA, Inc., Armonk, and Hon. William Thompson, retired Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department.

• New Service for Cancer Patients and Their Families – Legal Services :: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) has been awarded a two-year grant by the New York State Department of Health to provide comprehensive civil legal services to cancer patients and their families residing in the Hudson Valley area. 

The Department of Health awarded the grant to LSHV to serve cancer patients who face legal obstacles as they try to access necessary medical treatments and government benefits.  In addition, the grant allows LSHV to comprehensively address all civil legal problems faced by cancer patients that affect their quality of life and ability to focus on recovery.  Therefore, LSHV provides legal services to ensure that our clients receive necessary medical treatments as well as legal services in permanency planning, guardianship, child support and custody, debt relief and bankruptcy, housing, and rights under the Family Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act (employment discrimination).  With experienced and dedicated staff of LSHV supporting this work, LSHV will provide the comprehensive and high quality legal services that cancer patients and their families desperately need.

Please call our Intake Unit for further information:
1- 877-LSHV LAW