Low-income New Yorkers get an easy, on-the-go way to access legal aid referrals, information, and self-help
New York, New York – June 26, 2014
A new mobile site for LawHelpNY.org will make it easier than ever to find needed legal aid assistance and information for low-income New Yorkers. Launched this week, the mobile site, http://m.lawhelpny.org/, features quick access to free legal aid referrals, know-your-rights information and a variety of self-help tools.
After noticing that 40% of visitors to the main LawHelpNY.org site access it via their mobile phones, LawHelpNY partnered with Probono.net to develop a new mobile platform that would allow New Yorkers to access many of the resources found at LawHelpNY.org on their cell phones. This means that with so many low and moderate income residents using cell phones with data plans as their primary internet access, this new mobile platform will allow the information found at LawHelpNY.org to continue to be accessed by those who need the information the most.
The mobile site also includes innovative components such as a Spanish mobile site and LiveHelp assistance accessible via the mobile site in English and Spanish. The site will offer information and referrals to those seeking help with problems in areas such as housing, family law, consumer debt and immigration.
LawHelpNY was launched in 2008 and now serves more than 65,000 visitors a year from people using smartphones and tablets. Since its founding in 2010, LiveHelp has assisted over 28,000 people.
Click here to read in Español.
About LawHelpNY
LawHelpNY (www.lawhelpny.org) is an online tool for helping low-income New Yorkers solve their legal problems. LawHelpNY is a collaborative project of the following New York State legal aid organizations: City Bar Justice Center, Legal Services NYC, The Legal Aid Society of New York, Pro Bono Net, Volunteers of Legal Service, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Empire Justice Center, New York State Bar Association, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.
About Pro Bono Net
Pro Bono Net is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to justice through innovative uses of technology and increased volunteer lawyer participation. Pro Bono Net uses innovative web-based platforms— www.probono.net, www.lawhelp.org and www.lawhelpinteractive.org —to recruit and support volunteer lawyers and provide direct information and tools for self-representation to low-income communities. Pro Bono Net has also developed Pro Bono Manager, pro bono practice management software that helps AmLaw 200 law firms increase pro bono participation, manage pro bono caseloads more efficiently and raise internal and external awareness of pro bono efforts. For more information, please visit www.probono.net.