OCA-DGCP-084 Judiciary Civil Legal Services, Statewide
Open State & local contract opportunity Posted
- Solicitation number
- 2139803
- State
- New York
- Responses due
Opportunity facts
- Point of contact
-
- Alina Zielinski azielins@nycourts.gov (518) 238-4394
Updated .
About this opportunity
The New York State Unified Court System (UCS), Office of Court Administration, Division of Grants, Contracts & Procurement, is soliciting proposals from not-for-profit legal services organizations to provide civil legal services statewide under RFP OCA-DGCP-084, with proposals due November 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time and questions due October 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.
Eligible applicants must be not-for-profit corporations organized under New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law with current certificates of incorporation, proof of charities registration or exemption from the New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau (for organizations receiving over $25,000), and proof of tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. Individuals and organizations listed as ineligible on the federal System for Award Management or New York State Office of General Services debarred entities list are ineligible.
The scope encompasses direct legal representation services, pro bono referrals, paralegals and non-attorney staff supervised by attorneys, law students and recent graduates, comprehensive representation, appeals, court and administrative hearings, limited advice and counsel, legal information provision, mediation, alternative dispute resolution, and form completion assistance addressing unmet civil legal needs of low-income New Yorkers (incomes not exceeding 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines) in housing matters (evictions, foreclosures, homelessness), family matters (domestic violence, children, family stability), access to health care and education, and subsistence income (wages, disability and other benefits, consumer debts). Applicants may propose services targeting specific underserved communities or providing specialized services for domestic violence survivors, elderly, or non-English speakers.
The contract term spans five years from March 1, 2027 through February 29, 2032, subdivided into an initial one-month period, followed by four 12-month periods, and a final 11-month period. The anticipated total funding is $176.5 million in the initial annual period, distributed proportionately among fourteen judicial districts based on population share of low-income residents. The RFP will result in multiple awards across every county in the state. Payment is made quarterly in arrears within thirty days of invoice receipt and acceptance, with advance payment of up to 25% of annualized funding available at UCS discretion for fund availability. Funding is structured as general operating support recognizing that awarded organizations will maintain multiple funding sources including local/municipal funding, federal grants, the New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (IOLA), and the Legal Services Corporation.
Applicants must complete a Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire through the New York State VendRep System and submit Vendor Assurance and Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure and insurance requirements documentation. No pre-bid conference will be held.
Opportunity text
BACKGROUND The mission of the New York State Unified Court System (UCS) is to deliver equal justice under the law and to achieve the just, fair and timely resolution of all matters that come before our courts. The UCS Judiciary Civil Legal Services (JCLS) program provides grant funding to non-profit legal services organizations to enhance the administration of justice by increasing access among low-income individuals to legal representation, advice, information and related services that promote just outcomes in civil legal matters. PROGRAM INFORMATION This Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks proposals from not-for-profit legal service providers to address the unmet needs of low-income New Yorkers for civil legal services in matters involving the essentials of life which include, but are not limited to: housing matters (e.g., evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness); family matters (e.g., domestic violence, children, and family stability); access to health care and education; and subsistence income (e.g., wages, disability and other benefits, and consumer debts). The funding is structured as general operating support for organizational administration, staffing, facilities, infrastructure, and technology. Resulting contracts contemplate that awarded organizations have multiple funding sources (such as local/municipal funding, federal grants, the New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (IOLA), or the Legal Services Corporation, for example). This approach recognizes that in many instances the UCS is one among many funders supporting an organization's civil legal services program. Applicants may propose direct legal representation services in a broad array of civil case types. Applicants may also propose services that target specific, underserved communities or provide specialized legal services (e.g., services for domestic violence survivors, elderly, or non-English speakers). Applicants may also propose related legal assistance services that promote access to the civil justice system such as information and referral, new technology (e-filing tools, remote access), alternative dispute resolution services for civil matters, volunteer lawyer mobilization, and other legal assistance services. Funding will be awarded for direct civil legal representation services and related legal assistance initiatives. Applicants may submit proposals that encompass one or both types of services. Persons eligible to receive legal services funded by this RFP are limited to those whose incomes do not exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Questions are due by October 23, 2026 at 2:00PM Eastern to the Designated Contact: Alina Zielinski, azielins@nycourts.gov. Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: ACCORD, A Center for Dispute Resolution, Advocates for Children of New York, Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund Inc, Bronx Defenders, Access Justice Brooklyn, Bronx Works, Brooklyn Defender Services, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (D/B/A Build Up Justice NYC), CAMBA, Capital District Women's Bar Association Legal Project, Catholic Charities Community Services, Diocese of New York, Catholic Migration Services, Center for Elder Law and Justice, Center for Family Representation, Central American Legal Assistance, Central American Refugee Center, Child and Family Services of Erie County, Children's Rights Society, Community Service Society of New York, Empire Justice Center, Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, Family Center Inc, Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society, Goddard Riverside Community Center, Her Justice, Housing Conservation Coordinators, Hudson Valley Justice Center, Jewish Association of Services for the Aged, Journey's End Refugee Services, Latino Justice PRLDEF, Lawyers for Children, Legal Action Center, Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, The Legal Aid Society, Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Legal Aid Society of Rochester, Legal Aid Society of Rockland County, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Family Legal Care, Legal Services NYC, Legal Services of Central New York, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Long Island Advocacy Center, Make the Road New York, Mental Health Association of Erie County, Mobilization for Justice, My Sister's Place, Legal Services of Long Island, Neighborhood Defender Service Inc, Neighborhood Legal Services, New Economy Project, New York Center for Law and Justice, New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti Violence Project, New York County Lawyers Association, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, New York Legal Assistance Group, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp, Pace University, Part of the Solution, Prisoner's Legal Services, Queens Volunteer Lawyers Project, Richmond County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Inc., Rural Law Center of New York, Safe Horizon, Safe Passage Project Corporation, Sanctuary for Families, Community Development Project DBA TakeRoot Justice, The Door A Center For Alternatives, Unity House, UNLOCAL, Urban Justice Center, Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY, Inc., Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc., dba JustCause, Volunteers of Legal Services, Western New York Law Center, Worker Justice Center of New York, Youth Represent
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| OCA-DGCP-084 Judiciary Civil Legal Services, Statewide.pdf | ||
| Exhibit 2 Insurance Requirements.pdf | ||
| Attachment III.pdf | ||
| Form 3 - Annual Workload Projection Chart.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Form 4 - Vendor Assurance and Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure.docx | DOCX document | |
| Form 1 - Proposal Document.docx | DOCX document | |
| Exhibit 1 Funding by Judicial District.pdf | ||
| Attachment-I-(Rev.11.13.2025).pdf | ||
| Form 2 - Proposal Budget.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Form 5 - Document Enclosure Checklist and Verification.pdf |
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