In rural areas, where resources are scarce, cooperation and collaborative efforts are incrementally more important.  New York's 44 rural counties occupy a large and somewhat disconnected landscape. To form a connection, the Rural Law Center has established and nourished contacts with rural resource organizations statewide. We are active participants in numerous networks and coalitions working toward a comprehensive, low-income rural agenda. The Center is a strong supporter of the strengths of internet technology as a bridge across rural New York.

The Rural Law Center has designed and implemented a series of partnership-based initiatives in rural counties in order to create lasting, local community response systems.  More specifically, these include:

• Judges' best Practices CLE/Pro Bono Project

• Rural Transportation Advocacy/Wheels to Work Project

• Doors of Hope Domestic Violence CLE/Pro Bono Project

• Rural Housing Inter-agency Community Response System

• Preventive Legal Education for Teens/New Facts of Life Program

• Wired for the Workforce/Addressing the Rural Digital Divide

• Lay Advocate Trainings in Special Education/Rural Schools

• TANF Client-directed Quarterly Newsletter/Higher Ground

• Pro Bono support for Rural Micro-Enterprise

• Legal Assistance for Non-Profit Organizations dedicated to sustainable economic self-sufficiency for rural low-income families

Each of these programs is designed to result in direct, one-on-one services to rural clients in counties across the state.  In each case, these services can strengthen independence and economic self-sufficiency, and improve the overall quality of life for individuals, families and communities.