Access to the judicial system is recognized as a significant problem for rural, low-income New Yorkers. To increase accessibility, the Rural Law Center provides legal trainings, workshops and educational information directed toward the two groups within the rural poor experiencing the greatest need: seniors and youth. Trainings are presented in rural locations statewide in pertinent areas such as Family Law, Consumer Law, Special Education Law, Medicaid and Estate Law issues.

Training sessions are tailored to meet the specific needs of each audience in three main target areas. First, workshops on legal rights and responsibilities are presented directly to groups of young people and senior citizens in rural regions. In the second area, educational seminars are designed to provide critical legal information to service providers for youth and for seniors. And the third and final target area is the provision of training sessions for attorneys. In these sessions, attorneys receive up-to-date training in areas of law relating to the pressing needs of rural, New York senior citizens and youth. Attorneys attend trainings in our Seniors and Youth Access to Justice Program free of charge. In return for this free training, attorney participants agree to provide pro bono legal services to low income clients.