Closing the Gap is a partnership between the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY) and Pro Bono Net to help close the urban/rural service gap in northeastern and western upstate New York through innovative uses of technology and cross-program collaborations.
Closing the Gap responds to the substantial gap between the need for pro bono representation and the available pro bono attorneys in LASNNY's rural counties. Attorneys from the immediate Albany/Capital District area will be recruited to serve rural clients in Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schoharie, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington Counties.
The goal of Closing the Gap is to increase the quantity and scope of pro bono service delivery in housing and consumer cases in rural upstate New York. This goal will be achieved by linking volunteers concentrated in each program's urban core with rural clients through the innovative use of remote assistance technology and collaboration tools, including real-time video sessions and/or phone calls, remote review of documents, and remote generation of pro se pleadings. While many rural clients receive advice from program staff, those who receive services from Closing the Gap volunteers will also benefit from remote brief service, including the production of a pro se response.