Legal Services, Qualified Suppliers List (QSL)

Rockland County, New York is issuing RFP-RC-2026-012 to establish a Qualified Suppliers List (QSL) and award contracts for legal services to be provided on an as-needed basis to the Rockland County Law Department and Office for the Aging. The procurement seeks qualified legal service providers capable of delivering comprehensive legal assistance and representation to county residents age 60 and older, with priority given to those with greatest economic or social need. Key deliverables include legal counseling and assistance to eligible seniors, representation on matters referred by the Office for the Aging, community education and outreach regarding elder law issues, and participation in office meetings and events. Proposers must demonstrate substantial expertise in elder law, including areas such as public benefits, institutionalization, alternatives to institutionalization, housing, utilities, and age discrimination. All proposed attorneys must be admitted to all New York State Courts and the U.S. District Court, Southern District, and firms must maintain professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate. Evaluation will be weighted as follows: 300 points for depth of demonstrated knowledge in elder law, 100 points for demonstrated technical capability to provide legal services in New York State, 200 points for qualification and expertise of proposed staff, 150 points for performance references for similar projects, and 250 points for cost. A virtual pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for February 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM via Microsoft Teams, with written questions due by March 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM and proposals due March 12, 2026 at 3:00 PM local time. The initial contract term is one year with four one-year renewal options.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular enterprise categories; however, all proposers must comply with mandatory disclosures including non-collusion certifications, Rockland County political contribution disclosures, supplier responsibility requirements, affirmative action compliance, MacBride Principles certification for Northern Ireland operations, Iran Divestment Act compliance, and Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) activity disclosures. Proposers must provide valid New York State Workers' Compensation and Disability Certificates or attestations of exemption and must not appear on the OGS Prohibited Entities List. The RFP does not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors. Budget information is structured by project assignment tier: projects valued up to $35,000 are eligible for direct assignment from qualified suppliers, those valued between $35,000 and $100,000 require competitive quotes from a minimum of three suppliers, and projects exceeding $250,000 require a separate project-specific RFP. Proposed pricing must remain firm through the first contract period with no adjustments permitted; subsequent price adjustments in renewal periods are limited to the percentage increase in the applicable Consumer Price Index for the preceding 12 months. Proposers must submit hourly rates broken down by staff category and type of work, including full-day and half-day rates for expert testimony services. Proposals must include a minimum of three current project references and two past project references demonstrating comparable legal service delivery experience.