Assistance to low-income individuals with civil legal issues in areas of: Public benefits (including Public Assistance, Food Stamps, HEAP, and Medicaid) Unemployment insurance (denials and terminations) Housing issues (including landlord/tenant relations, evictions, homelessness prevention, public housing and subsidized housing (Section 8) Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) denials, terminations, overpayments and underpayments Foreclosure services, including: representation at settlement conferences foreclosure defenses help getting loan modifications (before or after a foreclosure action has been filed) negotiating with lenders and loan servicers help with short sales help to tenants living in foreclosed properties facing eviction Employment Rights and Rights of Persons with Criminal Records (Tompkins, Tioga, Chemung and Schuyler Counties) Employment Discrimination Employment Clearance for Background Checks by Public Agencies Certificates of Relief from Disability/ Certificates of Good Conduct Public Benefits denials based on Criminal Record ("Fleeing Felon" and UIB Misconduct) Employment Discrimination based on Criminal Record (Re-entry issues) Legal education and advice to community groups; and other non-criminal cases Uncontested divorces may be handled by pro bono (volunteer) attorneys or through pro se (do it yourself) clinics. Call for availability. DOES NOT HANDLE: criminal cases traffic violations DUIs security deposit returns small claims court cases Family Court issues divorce Provides services via referral from these organizations: Tompkins and Tioga County Offices for the Aging: counsel and advice or brief service without regard to income for senior citizens Advocacy Center: limited legal services to adult victims of sexual assault A New Hope Center: limited legal services to adult victims of sexual assault