History

Lawyers Alliance for New York was founded in 1969 as The Council of New York Law Associates by a small group of young lawyers who were driven by a spirit of political activism and a desire to give something back to their city. The Council served as a clearinghouse for lawyers offering pro bono legal services, and its volunteers provided assistance in a diverse array of community action projects.

As New York City changed, so did the Council. With the growing power of the nonprofit sector to create positive and enduring change, the Council developed new initiatives in the 1980s to advise nonprofit housing groups and other community-based organizations in corporate, real estate and tax law. It also established its expertise as a legal resource center and advocate for the nonprofit sector.

With this evolution, the Council changed its name to Lawyers Alliance for New York in 1991. Since the late 1990s Lawyers Alliance has implemented numerous program priorities and special initiatives that are tailored to the programmatic and legal needs of its dynamic and remarkable nonprofit clients.

Lawyers Alliance continues to reflect its founders' vision: that lawyers could ­ and should ­ be a vital force for change. Lawyers Alliance mobilizes talented business lawyers from every discipline to help make New York City a better place to live and work.