Empire Justice Center

History

Empire Justice Center was originally founded in 1973 as the Greater Upstate Law Project (GULP). GULP became an independent nonprofit in 1995 and the Public Interest Law Office of Rochester (PILOR) was put in place to continue providing unrestricted legal services. In 1996, GULP opened the Hudson Valley Poverty Law Center in Westchester, New York. GULP and PILOR rebranded in 2005 to become the Empire Justice Center, and in 2007 they received their tax-exempt status. The group won its first case, Tucker v. Toia, in 1977. Since then, the group has generated over $140 million through policy work, litigation, and grants. ^{3 4}

Financials

Although the Empire Justice Center is a nonprofit litigation firm, it still receives government grants. In 2021, it received over $1.4 million in government grants. ⁵ It claimed a total of $2.45 million in grants for 2021, meaning government grants made up 57 percent of its total grant revenue in 2021. Since it is also a litigation firm, they generate revenue by offering legal services. In 2021, it received nearly $8 million in untaxable income for providing legal services. ⁵ The Empire Justice Center also lobbies politicians to help rewrite laws in a way they see fit. In 2021, it spent $750,000 on lobbying. ⁶

Court Cases

Tucker v Toia

Tucker v. Toia was the Empire Justice Center’s first case. It took place in 1977 and its ruling determined the level of responsibility the government had for taking care of “needy” people. The court ruled that the New York State Legislature had an obligation to provide basic necessities, which the legislature itself categorized as “needy.” ⁷

Comer v Cisneros

In 1989, the Empire Justice Center paired with the NAACP to file a lawsuit alleging racial exclusionary preferences in federal housing programs. The courts dismissed the case claiming that the plaintiffs lacked standing. ⁸

Karamalla v Devine

In 2018, Empire Justice Center backed immigrant from Sudan, Yousif Karamalla, in a case against the executive deputy commissioner of the New York State of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The Empire Justice Center claimed that since Karamalla was on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), he was eligible to receive Safety Net Assistance benefits from the state of New York. The Supreme Court of New York State ruled that Karamalla and other immigrants with TPS will be given assistance if they applied to the state and were eligible for the assistance. ^{9 10}