Our History

Celebrating a Proud Milestone

Fourteen visionary leaders established Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NLSA) in 1966, setting out on a path of equal access to justice for all residents of our region. NLSA has traveled 45 years down the road, never faltering even as conditions grew more challenging. Instead, NLSA grew more resourceful, evolving and changing with the times and economic conditions.

We began our journey in the company of many others in the 1960's helping to build the Great Society. We survived the dismantling of that national vision to emerge today as a more independent, innovative organization. Credit for NLSA's remarkable longevity goes to the prompt course corrections made throughout our history by decisive leadership. As government support for civil legal aid plummeted in the mid-1980's, NLSA turned to the private bar, launching an annual appeal for gap funding. We also vigorously recruited volunteer attorneys to serve indigent clients on a pro bono basis. We found ways to do more with fewer resources, such as installing a toll-free Helpline to quickly serve those who could benefit from service and advice by phone. We purchased our central office building and channeled the monthly savings into client service. We solicited new partners and initiated innovative programs, such as Older & Wiser and Lawyers on Loan, as ways of extending our reach and expanding our capabilities.

Above all, NLSA greeted each new setback with a redoubled commitment to endure. And endure we have. The staying power of the organization is mirrored in the longevity of our staff – who average 25 years on the job – and the tenacity of our leadership, who include just five Executive Directors over 45 years. We also take special pride in NLSA's role as an incubator for scores of wise and talented jurists who moved on from this public interest law firm to serve the statewide justice community and beyond.

From the plateau of our forty-fifth year, we note both the distance NLSA has traveled and the many miles still to go. Over the past 45 years, NLSA has assisted more than one million families and individuals in dire civil legal circumstances; yet we are mindful that demand still outstrips NLSA's capacity to help. While we face the challenges of an economic recession and uncertain future, we have never been more resolved to prevail. And, as always, we invite you to join us as the journey continues.