A Message from Our Executive Director

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to connect with you at the beginning of our new fiscal year to reflect on our accomplishments and share our vision for the year ahead.

We kicked off our year on July 1st with an exciting milestone: the launch of our new brand and name – Build Up Justice NYC.

For more than 50 years, we proudly served New Yorkers as Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A.

Build Up Justice NYC better reflects the essence of our mission: to strengthen communities, challenge systemic injustice, and create pathways to equity through high-quality legal advocacy.

I’ve always taken pride in our unique community-centered approach to delivering legal services. And I am especially proud of all we accomplished in our final year as Brooklyn A.

Despite facing a period of great uncertainty due to actions taken at the federal level, we never paused or cut back on our services. We handled more than 5,700 cases this past year, an 11% increase from the previous year, impacting the lives of more than 9,200 individuals, including renters, homeowners, survivors of domestic violence, small business owners, and their families. We also provided critical legal support to tenant associations, non-profit community-based organizations, worker-owned cooperatives, and mutual aid groups. The ripple effect of that work is immeasurable, and it is felt in every borough across this city.

When I stepped into the role of Executive Director eight years ago, our team was 35 strong. In April this year, we proudly welcomed our 100th staff member, and today, Build Up Justice NYC has grown to over 100 full-time employees across four office locations. We expanded our anti-eviction housing practice into Queens, where we just celebrated our one-year anniversary, and launched a new wills and estates practice to help families preserve equity and stability for generations to come.

We continue to lead outside the courtroom by supporting elected officials in drafting legislation rooted in the lived experiences of those most impacted by injustice. Through statewide and citywide coalitions, we’ve delivered testimony at public hearings, advocated for increased funding for our sector, and fought for systemic solutions to issues related to tenant rights, rent regulation, foreclosure, and privacy in name changes.

And while we’ve made important strides, the need remains urgent. According to the May 2025 NYC Comptroller report, evictions increased by 440% between March 2020 and March 2024, while only 42% of tenants facing eviction had legal representation in FY24. These shocking numbers motivate us to keep fighting because our communities deserve nothing less than our very best.

We are in the midst of a legal and moral crisis in this country. Families are being separated, rights dismantled, and the social safety net compromised. We are all collectively and individually a part of that safety net. We continue to lean on the strength of our partners – elected officials, government agencies, foundations, corporate partners, pro bono supporters, community organizations, and individual supporters – to ensure that we can meet the rising demand for civil legal services and build a more just and equitable city for all.

I am grateful for the unwavering commitment of our outstanding staff. Growth brings challenges and our team has met every one of them with grace, grit, and deep dedication to the communities we serve.

To every board member, staff member, supporter, and community partner: thank you! I look forward to our continued partnership as we build up justice together.

Onward,

Jessica A. Rose, Esq.

Executive Director