Today, Assemblymembers Harry B. Bronson (AD-138) and Jen Lunsford (AD-135) announced a $90,000 investment from New York State for the Telesca Center for Justice, a nonprofit civil defense collaborative working to stabilize lives through the power of law.

Founded in 2005, the Telesca Center for Justice has leveraged the resources and expertise of four nonprofit law firms – Empire Justice, JustCause, The Legal Aid Society of Rochester (LASROC), and Legal Assistance Western New York (LawNY) – to provide civil legal services to low-income residents in Rochester, Monroe County and the broader Finger Lakes region. This year, the partnership will celebrate their 20th anniversary.

The $90,000 secured by the Assemblymembers in the FY '27 budget supports joint staffing, shared operations, collaborative planning, and programmatic efficiencies across each of the agencies, maximizing impact and continuing the flexible and inclusive nature of their legal services.

“The Telesca Center for Justice is a unique model of shared civil legal services rooted in thoughtful collaboration in an easily accessible co-location. The partnership between these four agencies demonstrates the impact of a community-centered justice organization working to ensure the basic American principle that all people – regardless of income – deserve and should receive affordable, fair, and equal legal representation in both civil and defense matters,” said Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson. “Assemblywoman Lunsford and I are proud to support the work The Telesca Center is doing to bring increased equity to our civil legal system by providing counsel to thousands of families and individuals in throughout Monroe County and the Finger Lakes, so that low-income people will not continue to suffer from the negative effects of inaccessible representation.”

"Navigating the legal system can be difficult and costly, often times deterring low-income people from accessing services, resources and justice to which they are otherwise entitled,” said Assemblymember Jen Lunsford. “The Telesca Center addresses this challenge by coordinating four agencies to consolidate their resources and maximize their impact. The Telesca Center's broad range of services and empathetic, skilled attorneys, provides a comprehensive one-stop shop for elected officials like me and Assemblymember Bronson to refer constituents to, where we know they will receive quality legal advice and compassionate treatment. While having trusted community partners like the Telesca Center is something we can't put a price tag on, this funding will go a long way to helping them continue to provide justice for all!"

About the Telesca Center: With the motto, “Four agencies. One stable community. Together, justice for all,” the Telesca Center was born of the overwhelming difficulty clients faced navigating the complexities of the civil legal system, which lacks affordable and low-income service providers. This has resulted in thousands of Monroe County residents without the financial means to resolve their legal matters. These matters include immigration, consumer credit and protection, custody, healthcare, bankruptcy, eviction or foreclosure, wage disputes, divorce, etc., that would often go unaddressed, placing people in further financial arrears and legal trouble. Telesca’s services are available for families and individuals, including survivors of domestic violence, veterans, and immigrants.

The partnership focuses on the following areas:

• Expanding access to legal services for low-income and underserved populations
• Developing new programs and services to address emerging legal needs
• Advocating for policies that promote justice and equality
• Increasing public awareness of legal rights and resources
• Collaborative fundraising and development efforts

Through their shared space, the Telesca Center has emerged as a “one stop shop” for legal advice, representation, and resources. They also partner with service providers seeking to connect low-income clients to civil counsel. Results show that when people with low income have opportunities to resolve their civil legal matters in a timely manner, it brings measurable and meaningful benefits to our entire community.

According to data, eight in ten Americans face a civil legal problem each year, and often, one civil legal problem begets another, leading to increased financial burdens, homelessness, unsafe situations, job loss, loss of custody, and more. In Rochester, where nearly 30% of all residents live in poverty, the need for free or low-cost civil legal services impacts approximately 50,000 people. Representation by a quality attorney makes the difference between confronting and resolving legal matters, or those worsening outcomes.

In 2026, Telesca Center partners services benefitted more than 48,000 community members.

Collectively, this year, the Telesca Partners handled more than more than 20,000 civil legal cases (ranging from family law matters like divorce, custody, and supporting survivors of domestic violence; to preventing homelessness through foreclosure and eviction prevention; and supporting community members and a variety of matters in between), and in 2025 served more than 50,000 community members. In addition, nearly 1 million New Yorkers benefit from services other than direct legal representation (which includes community legal education, pro se assistance, online information/assistance, and outreach assistance) provided by the Telesca Partners each year. The effects of Empire Justice Center’s systemic legislative work and impact litigation are difficult to quantify, given the wide-reaching and seemingly endless rippling impact across the state and -in many cases- for generations.

“The Telesca Center for Justice represents more than a building—it represents a promise. It reflects the vision of attorneys, judges, and community partners who believe that access to justice is a fundamental right, not a privilege. Their collective dedication transformed years of planning and partnership into an innovative model that removes barriers, expands opportunity, and ensures that our most vulnerable neighbors can find the legal help they deserve. The need for civil legal services continues to grow as members of our community face increasing challenges in accessing justice. Critical issues such as housing stability, healthcare access, family law matters, immigration, and the protection of LGBTQIA+ rights have become more complex and urgent. As these challenges continue to evolve, the demand for accessible, high-quality civil legal assistance has never been greater,” said Mary Loewenguth, Executive Director

“The group efforts prevent a manageable legal issue from escalating and disrupting situations that lead to poverty. This all aids our community, not only our clients. Our leaders work with other organizations, the court system, and elected representatives to help address systemic issues. Ultimately, we all benefit when there is equal justice and societal stability - less homelessness, resolving educational challenges, assuring legal status for immigrants, reducing reliance on social services and public benefits, and easing the strain on the court system,” said Carla Palumbo - LASROC

“This investment recognizes that collaboration makes us stronger. At the Telesca Center for Justice, our organizations work together every day to make it easier for people to get the help they need. When someone is facing a legal crisis, they should not have to navigate a complicated system on their own. By working together, we can provide more seamless support and help people find a path forward,” Lori M. O’Brien, Esq. - Executive Director, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY)

“As a proud Telesca Center for Justice partner, Empire Justice Center is deeply grateful to Assemblymember Bronson, Assemblymember Lunsford and the Entire Rochester Delegation for their generous support of this partnership. By working together and "living" together our agencies are able to collectively maximize our resources providing crucial, lifesaving civil legal information and representation. In this time when federal public program rules are being narrowed and economic supports for people living at or below the poverty line are being cut, it's even more important that information is accurate and legal advocates are available to help our neighbors assert their rights,” said Kristin Brown – President & CEO, Empire Justice Center

“As attorneys themselves, Assemblymember Bronson and Assemblymember Lunsford understand how important it is for individuals and families to have access to the civil legal services they need to thrive. Their investment will make our community better for everyone who lives here by increasing access to justice for those who need it most,” said Tina Foster – Executive Director, JustCause