THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY

EIN 13-5562265 · International, Foreign Affairs & National Security (I800)

What they do

THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY is A PRIVATE, NOT-FOR-PROFIT LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION, THE OLDEST and LARGEST IN THE NATION, DEDICATED SINCE 1876 to PROVIDING QUALITY LEGAL REPRESENTATION to LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS. (MISSION CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IT is DEDICATED to ONE SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL BELIEF: THAT NO NEW YORKER SHOULD BE DENIED ACCESS to JUSTICE BECAUSE of POVERTY. DURING THE YEAR, THE SOCIETY HANDLED MORE THAN 222,255 INDIVIDUAL CASES and MATTERS and PROVIDED A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE of LEGAL SERVICES IN THREE AREAS: THE CIVIL, CRIMINAL and JUVENILE RIGHTS PRACTICES. UNLIKE THE SOCIETYS CRIMINAL and JUVENILE RIGHTS PRACTICES, WHICH ARE LEGALLY MANDATED and SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE CIVIL PRACTICE RELIES HEAVILY ON PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $91.00 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders77 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

89.31%of revenue went to mission work91.0% of expenses · Program services

0.72%of revenue went to fundraising0.7% of expenses

$98.09spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

8.07%of revenue went to management and office costs8.2% of expenses

$0.98in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

99.5%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $404,385 for SCOTT A ROSENBERG (GENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$439,700,805

Mission workProgram services$392,682,00489.31% of revenue91.0% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$35,473,9598.07% of revenue8.2% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$3,161,7510.72% of revenue0.7% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$8,383,0911.91% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$431,317,71498.09% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 91.0% mission · 8.2% management · 0.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 98.09% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 91.7% mission · 7.8% management · 0.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 97.53% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 93.0% mission · 6.5% management · 0.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 100.15% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 92.1% mission · 7.4% management · 0.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 100.99% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 92.1% mission · 7.4% management · 0.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 102.10% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 92.6% mission · 7.0% management · 0.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 97.41% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 92.9% mission · 6.7% management · 0.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 96.59% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 93.2% mission · 6.4% management · 0.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 93.96% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$439,700,805

Expenses$431,317,714

Annual surplus $8,383,091 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$392,682,004 · 91.0% of expenses

Management and office costs$35,473,959 · 8.2% of expenses

Fundraising$3,161,751 · 0.7% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$439,700,805

Expenses$431,317,714

Assets$423,386,668

Income$447,921,294

Contributions$437,609,776

Mission work (program services)$392,682,004

Fundraising$3,161,751

Management and general$35,473,959

Executive compensation (total)$2,201,126

Stocks and bonds$6,740,174

Accounting fees$349,655

Investing fees$84,644

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

SCOTT A ROSENBERGGENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY · 35 hrs/week $404,385Base $287,717 · Other $116,668

DAWNE A MITCHELLCHIEF ATTORNEY - JRP · 35 hrs/week $383,789Base $289,478 · Other $94,311

JUSTINE LUONGOCHIEF ATTORNEY - CDP · 35 hrs/week $381,237Base $289,516 · Other $91,721

TWYLA J CARTERATTORNEY-IN-CHIEF/CEO · 35 hrs/week $374,850Base $322,150 · Other $52,700

LAUREN SICILIANOCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER · 35 hrs/week $365,721Base $291,835 · Other $73,886

ADRIENE L HOLDERCHIEF ATTORNEY - CIVIL · 35 hrs/week $344,043Base $294,948 · Other $49,095

SURYA SAYED-GANGULYCHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER · 35 hrs/week $315,789Base $229,884 · Other $85,905

JASON WUATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE · 35 hrs/week $301,939Base $223,536 · Other $78,403

LOUIS S SARTORICHIEF COUNSEL, PRO BONO PRACTICE · 35 hrs/week $298,679Base $208,667 · Other $90,012

JAMAL L JOHNSONATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE · 35 hrs/week $279,797Base $236,679 · Other $43,118

IRWIN SHAWATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE-BOROUGH · 35 hrs/week $273,278Base $215,200 · Other $58,078

CONNIE A PARKCHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER · 35 hrs/week $271,862Base $230,035 · Other $41,827

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (77)

SCOTT A ROSENBERGGENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY

DAWNE A MITCHELLCHIEF ATTORNEY - JRP

JUSTINE LUONGOCHIEF ATTORNEY - CDP

TWYLA J CARTERATTORNEY-IN-CHIEF/CEO

LAUREN SICILIANOCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

ADRIENE L HOLDERCHIEF ATTORNEY - CIVIL

SURYA SAYED-GANGULYCHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

JASON WUATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE

LOUIS S SARTORICHIEF COUNSEL, PRO BONO PRACTICE

JAMAL L JOHNSONATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE

IRWIN SHAWATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE-BOROUGH

CONNIE A PARKCHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

PREMALI SHAHFORMER CFO

MAURICIO ESPANADIRECTOR

NOLA HELLERDIRECTOR

NATASHA I FAPOHUNDADIRECTOR

NANCY CHUNGDIRECTOR

MICHAEL C KEATSDIRECTOR

MIA N GONZALEZDIRECTOR

MEAGHAN GRAGGDIRECTOR

ZACHARY W CARTERCHAIRMAN

TRACY RICHELLE HIGHVICE CHAIR

MATTHEW FURMANDIRECTOR

MARY EATONDIRECTOR

MARVIN KRISLOVDIRECTOR

MARK P GOODMANVICE CHAIR

ADAM HAKKIDIRECTOR

SHARYL A REISMANDIRECTOR

TIFFANY J SMITHDIRECTOR

PATRICK T QUINNDIRECTOR

PAUL H SCHOEMANDIRECTOR

PERRY A NAPOLITANODIRECTOR

PETER M WILLIAMSDIRECTOR

PHILLIPE SELENDYDIRECTOR (FROM 12/18/24)

TALEAH JENNINGSDIRECTOR

RACHEL SHERMANDIRECTOR

RAJ GANDESHADIRECTOR

RICHARD STRASSBERGDIRECTOR

RICHARD F ALBERTDIRECTOR

RICHARD F HANSDIRECTOR (THRU 06/27/25)

ROBERT FINZIDIRECTOR (FROM 12/18/24)

ROGER A COOPERDIRECTOR

SARAH COYNEDIRECTOR

BART R SCHWARTZDIRECTOR (THRU 12/18/24)

DAVID GREENWALDVICE CHAIR/TREASURER

DANIEL RUBENSDIRECTOR

CYNTHIA FERNANDEZ LUMERMANNDIRECTOR

CHRISTOPHER D BELELIEUDIRECTOR

CHARLES C PLATTDIRECTOR

CHARLES WEINSTEINDIRECTOR

CAROL GREENE-VINCENTDIRECTOR

BRADLEY I RUSKINVICE CHAIR

DEBORAH N ARCHERDIRECTOR

BARRY A BOHRERDIRECTOR

AUDRA J SOLOWAYDIRECTOR (THRU 12/18/24)

ATIF KHAWAJADIRECTOR

ANTONY L RYANDIRECTOR

AMANDA T PEREZDIRECTOR

ALYSSA ROWERDIRECTOR

ALAN LEVINEPRESIDENT

JENNA M DABBSDIRECTOR

LARA S BUCHWALDVICE CHAIR

L KEVIN SHERIDAN JRDIRECTOR

KIM A WALKERDIRECTOR

KATHERINE ROCCODIRECTOR

JUNE S DIPCHANDVICE CHAIR

JOSH KALISHDIRECTOR (FROM 12/18/24)

JOSEPH L SORKINDIRECTOR

JOHN K CARROLLDIRECTOR

LYNN K NEUNERDIRECTOR

JEFFREY A FUISZDIRECTOR

JEFFREY GLENDIRECTOR

IAN SHAPIRODIRECTOR

HELEN GUGELDIRECTOR

EVA W COLEDIRECTOR

ELYSE GLAZERDIRECTOR (FROM 12/18/24)

EDWARD FLANDERSDIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1943
Location: 199 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10038-3526
County: New York
In care of: % CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Primary officer: LAUREN SICILIANO, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(212) 577-3300

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: July 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: RSM US LLP
NTEE classification: International, Foreign Affairs & National Security (I800)
IRS tax category: All Other Legal Services