We are CLARO
We are the Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO) providing limited-scope legal services 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 people 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 State Unified Court System, serving consumers in all 5 boroughs and Westchester. Through partnerships with the courts, bar associations, academic institutions, and legal services organizations, CLARO tries to help unrepresented persons 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.
Late arrivals will be directed to the hotline.
111 Centre Street, Room 323A
Bronx
Bronx Civil Court
Each Thursday from 12 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Late arrivals will be directed to the hotline.
851 Grand Concourse, Room B-124
Staten Island
Staten Island Civil Courthouse
1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from
2 P.M. – 4 P.M.
(By appointment only; call the CLARO hotline, 929-388-0885)
927 Castleton Avenue
Brooklyn
Kings County Civil Courthouse
Thursdays from 2 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. (Room 1312 on the 13th floor)
Thursdays from 5 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. (EFFECTIVE NOV. 5th, 2026: Room 1312 on the 13th floor)
141 Livingston Street, Brooklyn
Please note that since reopening after the pandemic, the clinic is full every week, and generally the sign-in sheet fills up by approximately 30 to 60 minutes before each session begins. We advise arriving early, as CLARO is absent a reasonable accommodation strictly a first-come, first-serve program.
Queens
Queens County Civil Courthouse
Fridays from 1:00 P.M – 4:00 P.M. (Appointment only) Call 718-739-4100 to schedule!
89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, Room 116
Jamaica, NY 11435
Westchester
Contact Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, 877-574-8529
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!