Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TA B L E OF CONTENTS
01
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WHAT WE DO
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04
05
06
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FINANCIAL SUMMARY
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OUR SUPPORTERS
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STAFF
Sincerely,
Douglas Lasdon
Executive Director
01
W H AT W E DO
The Urban Justice Center serves New
York Citys 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
ling class action lawsuits to bring about
systemic change.
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
HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH AND
PREVENTION PROJECT
HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT
MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT
PETER CICCHINO YOUTH PROJECT
SEX WORKERS PROJECT
STREET VENDOR 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.
02
03
RESEARCH
IN DEPTH:
IN DEPTH:
CDP ANNOUNCES LAWSUIT ON
BEHALF OF SUPERMARKET WORKERS
CDP recently led a lawsuit in United
States District Court for the Eastern
District of New York on behalf of
nine former employees of the Food
Bazaar Supermarket in the Brooklyn
neighborhood of Bushwick, asking
the court to award them more than
$1.5 million in damages resulting from
unpaid minimum wages and overtime
compensation. The suit is part of CDPs
ongoing partnership with the National
Mobilization Against Sweatshops to
protect the rights of low-income workers
throughout New York City. CDPs pro
bono co-counsel on this case is Outten
& Golden LLP.
IN DEPTH:
COLORS: NYCS FIRST
WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVE
RESTAURANT OPENS
CDP celebrated the opening of
COLORS, a worker-owned restaurant
conceived by the Restaurant
Opportunities Center of New York (ROC).
CDP attorneys worked extensively with
ROC to design the corporate structure
and operating agreement.
D O M E S T IC VIOLENCE PROJECT
The Domestic Violence Project (DVP)
is dedicated to providing survivors of
domestic violence and their children
with the support and advocacy necessary
to achieve freedom from the abuse
and violence in their lives. Our mission
demands a holistic approach in addressing
the obstacles faced by our clients.
Our dedicated and compassionate
team of attorneys and clinicians work
collaboratively to address the difculties
faced by our clients and their children
by fully assessing each individuals
clinical and legal needs. Our clients do
not present with solely one issue. It is
customary that the decision to leave is
fraught with danger and uncertainty.
We understand this, and we provide
hotline assistance to victims of domestic
violence where their concerns are heard
and addressed.
DVPs work incorporates a philosophy
of collaboration. We believe that
concerted efforts on all fronts:
governmental, law enforcement and at
the grass-roots level involving smaller
community based organizations
will provide the greatest impact.
Collaboration provides for greater
long-term societal change which in turn
ensures greater safety and success for our
clients and their children. We provide
assistance to all victims of domestic
violence irrespective of gender, and we
provide culturally and linguistically
appropriate services.
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200
250
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DIRECT SERVICE
1500 People receive direct service from
HOPPs Legal Clinics around
New York City this year.
HOPP opened our rst Queens Legal
Clinic at Hour Children in October 2006*
*Part of Robin Hoods Single Stop Initiative
IMPACT LITIGATION
Williston v. Eggleston - On June 15,
2004, the Urban Justice Center, in
conjunction with the Welfare Law
Center and the New York Legal
Assistance Group, led Williston
v. Eggleston, a federal class action
challenging the Citys Human Resources
Administrations failure to provide
food stamps to applicants from eligible
households within a timely manner, as
required by law.
In 2006, this case has survived a motion
to dismiss. HOPP has started discovery
and collected evidence to further
strengthen the case.
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H U M A N RIGHTS PR OJECT
The Human Rights Project (HRP) is one
of only a handful of organizations in the
United States working to apply globally
accepted human rights standards to
domestic social policy. At its heart, the
human rights project is about using a
model of organizing and advocacy that
puts human dignity and human rights at
the center of social justice work.
By using human rights, HRP is changing
the terms of the debate from charity
to rights and focusing on government
obligation to provide remedies where
there are wrongs. Using a multi-pronged
approach that connects the challenges of
combating poverty and discrimination
and using human rights standards where
they provide more protection than
domestic law, HRP is working towards
building a better, more responsive
city government and more collective
community voice. HRP uses advocacy,
media, education, and human rights
documentation to advance our mission.
MONITORING DIGNITY
HRP is currently working to promote
the implementation of the Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by
encouraging the use of the CRC in local
human rights documentation. As part
of the effort, HRP is developing a set of
indicators based on the CRC to guide
human rights documentation projects
and is a core member of the youth
committee of the Campaign for U.S.
Ratication of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
NYC PARTICIPATORY
BUDGETING INITIATIVE
HRP is a founding partner and
institutional home for the New York
Participatory Budgeting Initiative
(NYCPBI), a new coalition of
organizations, activists, and otherwise
interested individuals working towards
economic security and fulllment
of human rights by increasing
accountability and participation in the
city budget process and other public
budgets. NYPBI is coordinated by HRP,
the New York City AIDS Housing
Network, and City Project, and is
committed to public education on the
budget, facilitating direct involvement
in the budget process, and serving as a
public watchdog and catalyst of
public participation. Participatory
budgeting is now practiced in
hundreds of cities around the world, in
municipalities, schools, public housing,
and other institutions.
06
M E N TA L HEALTH PROJECT
The Mental Health Project aims to
break the cycle of hospitalization,
homelessness, and incarceration for
low-income New Yorkers with
psychiatric disabilities. For 1,000 clients
each year, our lawyers, social workers,
and advocates stop evictions; win Social
Security, Food Stamps, Medicaid and
Public Assistance benets; enforce the
Americans with Disabilities Act; nd
mental health treatment; and force jails
and hospitals to plan discharges so that
psychiatric patients and inmates are not
released to the street without housing,
benets, and ongoing treatment.
Based on what we learn from our
clients, we pursue systemic legal change
by engaging in impact litigation and
advocacy. Through litigation, we have
fought to secure the right to housing and
support services for the 15,000 patients
who are discharged from City hospitals
psychiatric wards every year, and for
the approximately 30,000 mentally ill
inmates who are released from City jails
every year.
FOWLKES V. ADAMEC
BRAD H. V. GIULIANI
STILL MORE TO DO
On April 6, 2006, SSA announced that
it will apply the ruling. However, SSA
is only changing its policy in NY, VT,
and CT and only for those who lost
their benets after the Courts decision
or were already in the appeals process.
For everyone else, SSA will continue to
terminate benets under its so-called
Fugitive Felons Project. SSA has
terminated the benets of thousands of
people whom the police have specically
decided not to pursue. MHP plans to
continue advocacy on this issue.
CRISIS FORMING
MHP EXPOSES UNLISCENSED ADULT HOME
MHP brought the unsanitary and unsafe condition of an illegal, unlicensed adult
home to light on page 1 of the New York Times Metro Section. The home, Albertas
House, has been taking clients with Social Security from city shelters and hospitals,
putting 5-6 men in a room, and charging each $500 per month for rent. Former
residents said there were bedbugs the size of roaches. MHP believes there are at
least 50 illegal homes throughout the city, and intends to stop these discharges by
pushing the responsible government agencies to inspect, regulate, and if necessary, to
close these homes.
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ORAL HISTORY
PROJECT
Over the past year, PCYP conducted
interviews of children who had been
conned in state facilities. From this,
we released Voices for Justice, an Oral
History Project capturing the stories
of LGBT youth who have survived the
juvenile justice system.
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S E X W O RKERS PROJECT
The Sex Workers Project (SWP) provides
legal services and legal training, and
engages in documentation and policy
advocacy, for sex workers. The SWP
works in the following areas: criminal
justice reform; trafcking in persons; and
human rights documentation. Using a
harm reduction and human rights model,
we protect the rights and safety of sex
workers who by choice, circumstance, or
coercion remain in the industry.
At an individual level, the Sex Workers
Project represents 75 sex workers a year
in legal cases that range from criminal
advocacy to immigration claims. We
use documentation-based advocacy,
EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
SWP has spearheaded a working group
to develop a communications strategy
within the sex work community. The
goal is to improve public education
by putting a face on sex work and
accurately representing sex work as a
human rights issue in communication
with the media.
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S T R E E T VENDOR PROJECT
The community of street vendors, the
services and vitality they provide, are
part of what makes this city great,
and rarely are they appreciated for it.
Vendors are often poor people with
little political inuence, facing some of
the most powerful groups in the city
business owners, real estate developers
and the police. The Street Vendor
Project is a voice for more than 12,000
people who have never before had an
organization working on their behalf,
and who have therefore been taken
advantage of for more than 100 years.
The Street Vendor Project works
to correct the social and economic
injustice faced by these hardworking
entrepreneurs. Reaching out to vendors
on the street, we hold clinics to educate
vendors about their legal rights. Working
to support a local vendors rights
movement, we organize vendors to
participate in the political process that
determines their fate. Finally, we engage
in systemic advocacy to help policy
makers and the public understand the
important role of street vendors in the
life of our city.
Currently, we have more than 550
members, to whom we provide legal
support and education. Our work,
however, doesnt end at the curb. We
believe a vital part of helping vendors
is rallying the support of the millions
of New Yorkers whose lives would be
diminished by their absence.
VENDY AWARDS
BUILDING STEAM
This October, SVP held the 2nd Annual
Vendy Awards honoring New York
Citys street food vendors. We know
that hardworking food vendors deserve
to be recognized for the excellence of
their craft. Congratulations to this years
winner - Samiul Haque Noor, 36, from
Sammys Halal on 73rd Street and
Broadway in Queens.
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F I NA N C I AL SUMMARY
BASED ON AUDITED JULY 1 , 2 0 0 4 - J U N E 3 0 , 2 0 0 5
GOVERNMENT 40%
FOUNDATION 43%
N E T ASSETS - $4,276,003
INCLUDES CURRENT OFFICE SPACE
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Chairman
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Felipe Aransaenz
York Stockbrokers
Dechert LLP
Pat Budziak
i2 Foundation
Anna Lefer
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O U R S U PPOR TERS
Foundations, Government & Individuals
June 30 2005 - July 1, 2006
$200,000+
$100,000+
HUD Outreach
Overbrook Foundation
Mertz Gilmore Foundation
van Ameringen Foundation
$50,000+
$20,000+
$10,000+
$5,000+
Epstein Philanthropies
Caryn Gottlieb
Greenberg Traurig
HDG Mansur Capital Group, LLC
Mary & Howard Kelberg
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$2,000+
ADCO Foundation
Allen & Overy LLP
Brenda & Kenneth Carmel
Michael T. Cohen
Bibi Conrad
Cornerstone Promotion
Trayton & Maris Davis
Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLP
Emanuel & Anna Weinstein Family Foundation
Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Haynes and Boone, LLP
Morris A. Hazan Family Foundation
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Keesal, Young & Logan
Helena Lee & Richard Klapper
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Gary & Cissy Lefer
Helen Hershkoff & Stephen Loffredo
New York Association for New Americans
Bradford & Kate Peck
Geoffrey Rockhill & Elizabeth Satin
Skyline Public Works
Emanuel T. Stern
Christopher & Leah Tahbaz
Seth Grosshandler & Kim Wainwright
Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP
Lois Q. Whitman
David Wolfson
$1,000+
$500+
$200+
Susan B. Lindenauer
James Lodwick
Stephanie & Jason Manske
Beth Margolis
Michael Hirschhorn & Jimena P. Martinez
Jason Megson
Rosemary Moukad
Randy & Renata Mulder
Daniel Greenberg & Karen Nelson
Dominique Penson
Rosa Pizzi
Joseph A. Popper
Roth Family Foundation
Phillip Saperia
Michael Shields
Christian Sinagusa
Andres E. Soto
Lisa Taubenblat
Amy Yenkin & Robert Usdan
Jay & Lyn Weiss
Stephen & Rachel Wizner
Markus Yakren
Timothy Zgraggen
$100+
Laura Abel
Joshua Adler
Wallace & Alice Alston
Alysha Austern
Sheelagh H. Baily
Ann & Mal Barasch
Kelsey Batchelder
Kate Tabner & Michael Boardman
Peter Boyd
David & Roanne Brodsky
David Brown
Shauna Burgess
Marshall D. & Mary Butler
Evan Cadoff
Janet Carter
Theodore K. Cheng
Peter A. & Mary Jane Cicchino
Dana Cohen
Steven Cole
Mark Colodny
Patricia Corley
Iva M. Creed
Patrick Daugherty
Adrian W. De Wind
Lisa Dempsey
Kristen Deubel
Wendy Doran
Jennifer Dryer
Gladwyn dSouza
Jeremy & Amy Epstein
Jose A. Esteves
Paul Ferrara
Jill Fieldstein
Nora Fitzpatrick
James S. Freeman
Shelley Fuld Nasso
Paul & Jean Funk
Robert Jake Gibbs
Carmen S. Giordano
Charles & Lois Ann Goldsmith
Shahna Gooneratne
Ruth Axelrod & Bill Gottlieb
Nancy & Jonathan Green
Tracey Greeneld
Rachel Grossman
John Gutman
Ann Hagedorn
Mala Ahuja Harker
Randy Hertz
Ian Hironangan
Katherine D. Johnson
Robert L. Johnston
Jeffrey H. Jordan
Jenny Kaufman
Bruce Kaye
Peter & Mary Kaye
Kwin Khanna
Karen S. Lavine & Donald G. Kilpatrick
Kathryn & Alan Klingenstein
Jody & David Kris
Michael Kurtz
Raquiba LaBrie
Lenore Laupheimer
Max Lefer
G. David Lehmann
David Lesser
James & Valerie Levy
John & Helen Liu
Felix Lopez
Joyce Manalo
Robert Mandelbaum
Geraldine Mannion
Michelle Cherande & Michael Martinez
Jennifer & Ian McAllister-Nevins
Scott & Cathy McGraw
Sue Halpern & Bill McKibben
Kelli C. McTaggart
Kirk & Judith Meighan
G.G. Michelson
Simone Monasebian
Christopher Mondini
Jennifer Nevins
Lori Ordover
Janet Page
Laetitia Pasquier
Sapna Patel
Snehal Patel
Chris Pepe
Sherry A. Picker
Brooke Pietrzak
Jennifer Prissel
Janet A. Gochman & Josh Rabinowitz
Marc A. Rivlin
Bethany Robertson
Victoria & Donald J. Rose
Lawrence Rosensweig
Oren Rosenthal
Adam Rosman
Kevin Roth
Nat Sloan & Jinkie Rush
Joan Schmitz
Bob & Lisa Schultz
Ruth & Allen Schwartz
Rahael Seifu
Ann Lewis & Richard Seltzer
Isuru Seneviratne
Barbara & Donald Shack
Charles Silverstein
Michael Martin & Roberta Smith
Jonathan Springer
Stonewall Foundation
Wendy Stryker
Robert L. & Margaret Tortoriello
Jennifer Tosi
Laurel Touby
Karen Trella
Joanna Riesman & Michael Tremonte
Jane Treuhold
Richard Vuernick
Jackie & Josh Weisberg
Bari & Charles Zahn
Richard & Carolyn Ziegler
UNDER $100
Theresa A. Anasti
Elizabeth Arms
Deborah Axt
Robert F. Bacigalupi
Peter Benjaminson
Boris Bershteyn
Kimberly Bliss
Carl Blumenthal
Jason W. Bowman
Evelyn & Jerome Boxer
Wendy Brennan
Eric Broder
Pamela L. & Jeffrey Brown
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Molly Biklen
Staff Attorney
David A. Colodny
Senior Staff Attorney
April Herms
Community Development Coordinator
Carmen Huertas
Staff Attorney
Gowri J. Krishna
Law Graduate
Annie Lai
Law Graduate
Laine Romero-Alston
Director of Research and Policy
Kelly Simmons
Research and Policy Coordinator
Anika Singh
Staff Attorney
John Whitlow
Staff Attorney
Haeyoung Yoon
Staff Attorney
Vivian Lehrer
HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH
PREVENTION PROJECT
Leslie Annexstein
Project Director
Ernie Collette
Legal Advocate
Kyle Dandelet
Legal Advocate
Alexandra De Shazo
Legal Advocate
Samantha Elkrief
Legal Advocate
Jennifer Magida
Staff Attorney
Gerni Oster
Project Coordinator
Edwin Ortiz
Senior Advocate
Avi Rosenthalis
Legal Advocate
Ami Sanghvi
Staff Attorney
Anna Schwartz
Legal Advocate
Anna Tavis
Legal Advocate
Lynda Tricarico
Legal Advocate
Rebecca Widom
Director of Research
Ejim Dike
Director of Policy Advocacy
Raymond Ortiz
Paralegal/Brad H. Advocate
Jennifer J. Parish
Director of Criminal Justice Advocacy
Aarti Reddy
Project Coordinator
Joanna Shalleck-Klein
Legal Advocate
Michelle Spinelli
Director of Development
Zach Strassburger
Legal Advocate
Anya Mukarji-Connolly
Staff Attorney
Sapna Patel
Staff Attorney
ADMINISTRATION
Sergio Sandoval
Director of Administration
Josue Figueroa
Receptionist
Thomas Renyak
Systems Administrator
Andrew Shoffner
Controller
Melva Yee
Christine Ortiz
Project Director
Dina Pilgrim
Elizabeth Betancourt
Social Worker
DEVELOPMENT
Michele Rattien
Noderea Reid
Teena Brooks
Hotline Advocate
Staff Attorney
Jon-David W. Settell
DoVE Initiative Coordinator
Jonathan Cohen
Danielle Spector
Staff Attorney
Staff Attorney
Gretchen Gonzalez
Staff Attorney
Lisa Ortega
Criminal Justice Organizer
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Director of Development
Hugh Ryan
Development Associate