Lawyers at Legal Aid Society, NYC's largest public defenders group, authorize a strike

Attorneys at the Legal Aid Society have voted to authorize a strike — meaning lawyers at New York City's biggest public defender group could stop working if management does not meet their demands for better work conditions.

Voting closed Sunday night, with 91% of members casting their ballot in favor of a strike, according to Jane Fox, chair of Legal Aid’s union. She said 99% of members participated in the vote.

The union has been fighting for higher pay, lower caseloads and more flexibility to work from home. Its contract expires today.

Authorizing a strike doesn’t necessarily mean one will actually happen. What it does mean is that the lawyers will now set a deadline for management to meet their demands. If an agreement isn’t reached in time, about a thousand attorneys will walk off the job.

A strike could disrupt criminal, housing, family and immigration courts across the five boroughs. The Legal Aid Society represents low-income New Yorkers who are fighting eviction proceedings, applying for asylum and facing criminal charges, as well as various other legal services.

Twyla Carter, attorney-in-chief and CEO of the Legal Aid Society, said in a statement that Legal Aid has secured additional funding from lawmakers in recent years, which she said has allowed the organization to raise the baseline salary for staff attorneys and offer retention bonuses. She said Legal Aid now offers the highest starting salary for lawyers of any nonprofit legal services group in the city and has offered to boost baseline salaries by an additional 4%.

“Despite these increases, a significant gap remains between the salaries of our staff attorneys and the rising cost of living in what is one of the most expensive cities in the country,” she said. “We remain committed to ensuring that staff attorneys and all staff can afford to live in New York City, pay down student loans, cover basic expenses, and plan for their future without taking on second jobs or putting major life decisions on hold. Our goal is to make a career at Legal Aid desirable and sustainable in the long term.”

Carter said Legal Aid respects the union’s decision to authorize a strike and that the organization “will continue to bargain in good faith.”

“If a strike takes place, our top priority will be to continue the high-quality legal services for the people and communities we serve and rely on us without interruption,” she said.

Legal Aid Society lawyers aren’t the only ones who might strike. A dozen other legal services groups have also been considering a work stoppage, and at least two groups — the Goddard Riverside Law Project and the Office of the Appellate Defender — have already voted unanimously to authorize a strike. Almost every other legal services organization in the city is represented by the same union as the Legal Aid Society and has agreed not to cross the picket line in the event of the strike, Fox said. That means they would still show up to work to represent their own clients, but they would not take on the cases of striking attorneys.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office of criminal justice said the city is preparing for a possible strike and has plans to minimize any effects.

This story has been updated with comment from the Legal Aid Society.