New York City’s Legal Aid Society, the nation’s oldest public defense provider, marks its 150th anniversary this year. Celebrations kick off this week at the New York Historical on the Upper West Side, where an exhibit about the organization’s history opens up on March 6.
The Legal Aid Society dates back to 1876 and originally represented German immigrants. In fact, the organization was initially called the German Legal Aid Society. But the law firm ultimately grew into an institution serving all New Yorkers in need of legal help and developed a robust civil litigation arm covering everything from family court to public benefits.
Through representing plaintiffs wronged by institutional power, the Legal Aid Society impacted policy through case law and consent decrees in many cases. A class action lawsuit after a Geraldo Rivera exposé got Staten Island’s Willowbrook State School shut down over neglect and abuse, and ultimately transformed local care for people with developmental disabilities. In the early 2010s, similar conditions allegedly surfaced on Rikers Island through the Nunez settlement, which recently led to a federally-appointed takeover of New York City jails.
Then there is Yvonne McCain, who contacted the Legal Aid Society in 1983 and became lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against then-Mayor Ed Koch. The ultimate ruling extended the right to shelter for unhoused families and children.
In 2022, current Attorney-In-Chief and CEO Twyla Carter became the first Black woman and Asian American to head the Legal Aid Society. She holds the distinction with personal pride and dispassionate disdain.
“It is truly a dream job to be able to lead this storied organization,” Carter told the AmNews. “I always appreciate when people celebrate the fact that I am the first Black woman and first Asian American in this role. But it is not lost on me that I should not be the first Black woman and first Asian American in this role.”
She points to several other trailblazing heads who preceded her. Archibald Murray became the first Black attorney-in-chief back in 1975. Rosalie Loew became the first woman appointed in the role all the way back in 1902.
Preserving such a past remained an ambitious undertaking. The exhibit marks the first time the Legal Aid Society has worked with a historian or archivist. And like many nonprofits, artifacts were often scattered in filing cabinets, or in the possession of previous employees.
Carter recalls finding ledgers with names of incarcerated people held at Harlem Courthouse while participating in a working group at the largely deteriorated community court. She knew many names were Legal Aid Society clients and got permission to borrow them for the exhibit.
“It was quite an interesting experience, and really quite eye opening when you think about what goes into making an exhibit,” said Carter. “Because it really is stuff that must be authentically certified and it must be the original thing, or we must have permission to be able to even use it. You can’t just take things and throw it in the case and say, ‘here’s our 150 years of service to New York.’”
Titled “Delivering Justice: 150 Years of The Legal Aid Society,” the exhibit will feature never-before-seen photos, documents, and press clippings. There will also be works by Brooklyn-based artist Josh MacPhee and reproductions from the likes of Jacob Lawerence.
The celebration does not stop there. A community forum will take place next month at Brooklyn’s BRIC House and the Staten Island FerryHawks baseball team will honor the Legal Society as their “Harbor Hero.” Later in the year, cultural institutions El Museo del Barrio and the Queens Museum will also host events commemorating the organization.
As far as the next 150 years, Carter wants to tackle preventative measures like housing, education, and employment to divert New Yorkers from the criminal legal justice system long before they need a court-appointed attorney from the Legal Aid Society.
“When our systems are strong, then communities are safer not because of surveillance or punishment, but because people’s needs are met,” she said. “For us, Justice becomes about opportunity, stability, [and] dignity, not just about defending yourself against a criminal charge in the courtroom.
“We imagine a future where justice does not begin with the courtroom, but with the resources that every New Yorker needs to live in dignity and security. And ultimately, a New York where Legal Aid Society is not necessary.”
Delivering Justice: 150 Years of The Legal Aid Society will run at the New York Historical from Mar. 6 to July 5.