We are CLARO
We are the Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO) providing limited-scope legal advice to low-income New Yorkers being sued by debt collectors.
WHAT WE DO
Consumer defense is the most common unmet civil legal need amongst low-income families 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 Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (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 City Civil Court, serving consumers in all 5 boroughs. Through partnerships with the Court, bar associations, academic institutions, and legal services organizations, CLARO tries to help unrepresented litigants better access justice.
WHERE WE WORK
Please select your CLARO location for more details regarding appointments, closures, and contact information.
Manhattan
New York Civil Court
2nd Tuesday of each month from
2 P.M. – 5 P.M.
and
4th Tuesday of each month from
5:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
111 Centre Street, Room 323A
Staten Island
Staten Island Civil Courthouse
1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from
2 P.M. – 4 P.M.
(Appointment only)
927 Castleton Avenue
Brooklyn
Kings County Civil Courthouse
Thursdays from 2 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. (Room 1312)
Thursdays from 5 P.M. – 7 P.M. (Room 504)
141 Livingston Street, Room 1312/504
Queens
Queens County Civil Courthouse
Fridays from 1:00 P.M – 4:00 P.M. (Appointment only)
89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Room 116
Westchester
Westchester County Courthouse
Thursdays from 2 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.
111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Room 1803
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 consultation during weekly clinics, which take place in the courthouses. CLARO would not be able to operate without support from several organizations within the NYC. For instance, The Feerick Center for Social Justice administers the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island CLARO Programs. While Access Justice Brooklyn, Legal Services of Hudson Valley, and the Queens Volunteer Lawyers Program oversee the CLARO Programs within Brooklyn, Westchester, and Queens. Help us improve access to justice for low-income New Yorkers by volunteering with CLARO. Contact clarocoordinator@fordham.edu to get involved!