WE ARE CLARO
We are the Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO) providing limited-scope legal services to low-income New Yorkers being sued by debt collectors.
WHO WE ARE
Volunteer lawyers work side-by-side with volunteer law students and other volunteers. Consumer law experts help train volunteers and are available for onsite consultations during weekly and biweekly clinics, which take place in the courthouses. CLARO would not be able to operate without support from several organizations within NYC. For instance, The Feerick Center for Social Justice administers the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island CLARO Programs. Access Justice Brooklyn and the Queens Volunteer Lawyers Program oversee the CLARO Programs in Brooklyn and Queens. Legal Services of the Hudson Valley runs CLARO in Westchester.
WHAT WE DO
Consumer defense is the most common unmet civil legal need amongst low-income people nationwide. Locally, the need for legal services in consumer defense is dire. In 2022, at the point of answering, consumer-defendants were only represented in 2.6% of consumer credit actions in New York City Civil Court.
Rather than representing these individuals in court, the CLARO Program’s volunteer lawyers and consumer law experts meet with visitors and advise them on how best to represent themselves in their court cases.
The CLARO Programs help visitors by explaining the court process, reviewing their case files, preparing court papers and giving advice on other consumer debt issues.
CLARO Programs operate under the auspices of the New York State Unified Court System, serving consumers in all 5 boroughs and Westchester. Through partnerships with the courts, bar associations, academic institutions, and legal services organizations, CLARO tries to help unrepresented persons better access justice.
WHERE WE WORK
Please select your CLARO location for more details regarding appointments, closures, and contact information.
Bronx
Bronx Civil Courthouse, 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451.
Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Room B-124).
Brooklyn
Kings County Civil Courthouse, 14 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Room 1312).
Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Room 1312).
Manhattan
NY Civil Courthouse, 111 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013.
2nd Tuesday of the month from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Room 323A).
4th Tuesday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Room 323A).
Queens
Queens County Civil Courthouse, 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435.
Fridays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Room 116).
By appointment only.
Staten Island
Richmond County Civil Courthouse, 927 Castleton Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310.
1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (2nd Floor).
By appointment only.