VOLS Monthly Newsletter

Clinics, Resources, and Support for New Yorkers: March News

We are proud to share that the VOLS Benefits Law Project has launched its Housing Court Benefits Initiative, establishing a regular, monthly presence in New York City’s Manhattan Housing Court. The Initiative is part of VOLS’ free legal services and aims to prevent eviction and homelessness in New York City by providing information and legal support on housing-related benefits to housing court litigants. The team has partnered with pro bono to provide a consistent, knowledgeable presence for New Yorkers at imminent risk of eviction.

This Initiative is one of many that support New Yorkers and must be preserved. We are all grateful to members of the legal community who are advocating for full funding for the Interest on Lawyer Account (IOLA), which helps VOLS and our colleagues at legal services organizations provide free high-quality civil legal services to New Yorkers who need them. Earlier this month, VOLS Senior Law Project Director John Holt traveled to Albany where he joined a group of lawmakers and advocates calling for full funding of the IOLA Fund. Their message was clear: IOLA funds support critical civil legal services that help New Yorkers access justice. VOLS continues to stand with our colleagues in the New York Legal Services Coalition in urging Governor Kathy Hochul and the Legislature to ensure that the full IOLA funding included in the Senate and Assembly proposals is preserved in the final enacted budget.

Best,

Abja Midha
Executive Director

VOLS New York, Together 2026 Gala

Sponsorships and tickets are available for the VOLS New York, Together 2026 Gala on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. For more information, please visit our website.


Join Our Team

VOLS seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to work in our Senior Law Project. This role will report to the Senior Law Project Director and is part of union ALAA UAW Local 2325. Visit our website to learn more.


Get To Know Our Team

As part of the VOLS Spotlight Series, we spoke with Adrian Smith, Director of the VOLS Microenterprise Project.

How does the VOLS Microenterprise Project support small business owners in NYC?  
As Director of the Microenterprise Project (MEP), I focus on helping existing and aspiring nonprofit and small business owners access high-quality, free legal services. By leveraging the corporate expertise of volunteer attorneys, we help these businesses and nonprofits save on legal fees and reinvest those funds into their operations. 

I also work to connect business owners with specialized counsel to navigate niche legal issues that can otherwise be costly and difficult to address. These matters create opportunities for attorneys to engage in pro bono work aligned with their practice areas while also collaborating with and training other attorneys interested in expanding their skills.

At a time when small businesses and nonprofits face significant challenges, the opportunity to support New York’s entrepreneurs and community-based organizations is especially meaningful.

Is there an experience and/or client that you found particularly memorable?   
On one occasion, I worked with a small, independently owned NYC- based business, that needed help defending itself against an aggressive plaintiff-side law firm. This client could not afford defense counsel.   

In speaking with the client, their fear was palpable. This lawsuit had the potential to force them to close their family-owned business. Ultimately, we were able to secure pro bono legal representation for this family. When I shared the update, the client responded simply: “Thank you so much!” Being able to help a client in a moment of need is what I find most fulfilling in my role at the Microenterprise Project. 

Tell us about yourself. What makes a “good weekend” for you?  
I enjoy spending time and exploring different NYC neighborhoods with my family, cleaning my fish tank, watering my plants, playfighting with my daughter, visiting extended family, going to NYC parks, and eating out at restaurants.


March Project Highlights

VOLS Benefits Law Project (BLP) teamed up with Davis Wright Tremaine and Freshfields to hold a Rent Freeze legal clinic at Hamilton-Madison House Confucius Square. The team held a second clinic at the 1199 Plaza East Harlem Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC), supported by pro bono attorneys from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and Wells Fargo.

Pro bono volunteers assist clients during a Rent Freeze legal clinic at Hamilton-Madison House Confucius Square.
VOLS BLP team attends a Rent Freeze legal clinic.

VOLS Immigration Project (IP) held a screening clinic for immigrant young people supported by pro bono attorneys from Akin and Memorial Sloan Kettering and continued to hold weekly briefings on immigration law and policy for volunteer attorneys. 

VOLS Senior Law Project (SLP) held future planning presentations at Bridgeview Senior Apartments and the Bronx Defenders and a drafting clinic to finalize the life planning process for several older New Yorkers.

VOLS Incarcerated Mothers Law Project (IMLP) held two legal clinics at Taconic Correctional Facility supported by pro bono attorneys from Bloomberg, Con Edison, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Freshfields, Kirkland & Ellis, and Paul, Weiss. The team also held legal clinics at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility with pro bono attorneys from A&O Shearman, Fried Frank, and Paul, Weiss, and a legal clinic at Rikers Island’s Rose M. Singer Center alongside pro bono attorneys from Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, NBC Sports, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. 

VOLS Incarcerated Mothers Law Project and pro bono volunteers in Bedford Hills, NY.

VOLS Microenterprise Project (MEP) partnered with the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development Cooper Square Committee to hold a presentation focused on board governance training for members of the East Village Independent Merchant Association and conducted the Legal Foundations for Founders Workshop in partnership with Progress Playbook and pro bono volunteers. MEP also published new resources for volunteer attorneys, including a Copyright Registration Toolkit, Hiring Your First Employee Checklist, Legal FAQs for New and Small Growing Businesses, and FAQs and Answers for Guiding Small Business Clients.  


Testimony

On Thursday, March 12, VOLS Senior Law Project Director John Holt testified before the New York City Council Committee on Aging Preliminary Budget Hearing on the barriers faced by older adults in accessing legal services that allow them to plan for the future. He highlighted the continued need to support and prioritize programs like VOLS that reach aging New Yorkers in their homes and communities. A full copy of the written testimony is available on our website.

On Friday, March 20, VOLS Senior Law Project Director John Holt submitted testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Veterans Preliminary Budget Hearing on the services provided by the VOLS Veterans Initiative and the challenges of working with older adult veterans. He called upon the Council to continue to invest in programs like the VOLS Veterans Initiative that provide veterans with free legal services that help them plan for their future and ensure they have the resources to remain a vital part of the New York City community. A full copy of the written testimony is available on our website.

On Monday, March 23, VOLS Microenterprise Project Director Adrian Smith testified before the New York City Council Committee on Small Business Preliminary Budget Hearing on the challenges faced by small businesses and entrepreneurs. He encouraged the Council to continue to invest both in the Department of Small Business Services and legal services organizations like VOLS that provide transactional legal services that help small businesses open, adapt, and sustain themselves. A copy of the testimony is available here.

On Tuesday, March 24, VOLS Incarcerated Mothers Law Project Director Stephanie Taylor testified before the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice Preliminary Budget Hearing. She highlighted the barriers parents face in maintaining relationships with their children while navigating incarceration, family court, and re-entry without access to legal support to protect their parental rights. She called upon the City to fund programs that provide family law assistance for incarcerated parents, invest more in community-based organizations so they can develop family law advisory services, and ensure that parents receive information about their parental rights and family court obligations at the earliest stages of custody. A copy of the testimony is available here.


Team VOLS x NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon

3 spots left! You can join Team VOLS for the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon on Sunday, April 26 and help close the access to justice gap for New Yorkers in need of civil legal services. Join our team today!


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Looking for stationery, gifts, and essentials? Enjoy 20% off Minted’s stationery and gifts when you shop using our exclusive discount code and Minted will donate 10% back to us. Use code: FUNDRAISEVOLS

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