New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Inc.
Lobbying client
A civil rights legal organization founded in 1976 that combines direct legal representation, community organizing and advocacy on disability, environmental, health, immigrant and community justice issues for low-income New Yorkers. It has filed 30 lobbying disclosures since 2024, lobbying nine council members through Hollis Public Affairs and The Wright Group NY on city budget funding, criminal justice policy and local legislation including changes to police response for mental health crises, and held $18,750 in active city contracts as of August 2026, part of $4.3 million since 2010.
- Council members lobbied
- 9
- Filings (since 2024)
- 30
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $173,699
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Human Services
- City contracts (active)
- $18,750 · 1 contract
- Awarded all-time
- $4,290,950 · 24 since 2010, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $3,531,497
- Won without a fresh bid
- 100% of contract value · $4,290,950 · 24 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $5,694,638 · 73 awards
- Funding history
- Funded every year since FY2011 (17 years running)
- Top officer pay (FY2024)
- $326,706 · J Mcgregor Smyth ESQ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOr
- Based in
- New York, NY
Lobbied these council members
- Amanda C. Farías Council Member, District 18 (Bronx)
- James F. Gennaro Council Member, District 24 (Queens)
- Lynn C. Schulman Council Member, District 29 (Queens)
- Sandy Nurse Council Member, District 37 (Brooklyn)
- Alexa Avilés Council Member, District 38 (Brooklyn)
- Rita C. Joseph Council Member, District 40 (Brooklyn)
- Shaun Abreu Council Member, District 7 (Manhattan)
Represented by lobbyist firms
- Hollis Public Affairs, Inc. Lobbyist firm
- The Wright Group NY, Inc Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Department for the Aging City agency
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene City agency
- Department of Youth and Community Development City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene City agency
Lobbied former members
Members who have since left their seat
- Adrienne Adams
- Diana Ayala
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - 2027 Budget
- Budget - criminal justice
- Local Legislation (including introduction) - Intro 0354-2024; Local Legislation (including introduction) - Intro 1150 of 2024; Local Legislation (including introduction) - Intro 1067; Local…
- Local Legislation (including introduction) - Systemic changes in police response to individuals experiencing mental health crises. No active legislation. Future policy.
- Local Legislation (including introduction) - securing funding
City contracts
Registered city contracts, largest first by current contract value (not amount spent): running now, then registered to start later, then ended. Totals count every registered contract. Each line shows its Checkbook contract ID. The tag on each row is how it was awarded (“no-bid” = non-competitive).
- 6LP- provide services to older adults Department for the Aging · CT112520258805836 $18,750
- Immigrant Health Initiative Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620258801166 · ended 2026 $2,041,425
- Immigrant Heath FY21 05666 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620228803837 · ended 2021 $437,500
- Improving access to health care Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620201419998 · ended 2020 $350,000
- Improving Access to Health Care addressing cultural and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620191421437 · ended 2019 $350,000
- PCAP - Immigrant Health Initiative NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620181418244 · ended 2018 $250,000
- DECREASING HEALTH DISPARITIES WITH FOREIGN BORN NEW YORKERS Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620171419595 · ended 2017 $250,000
- PCAP - Immigrant Health Initiative NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620171401387 · ended 2016 $250,000
- to support various youth and community development services Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020258803198 · ended 2026 $84,375
- Support Health//Education and Environmental Justice Department of Youth and Community Development · CT126020160003543 · ended 2015 $30,000
Largest payments, by purpose
The organization's largest individual city payments (roughly $25,000 and up), grouped by purpose, to show what recent money was for. This is NOT a total — smaller payments aren't listed; see “Paid to date” above for the complete amount paid against its contracts. Fiscal years 2020 and later.
- Immigrant Health Initiative Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2025 · 2 payments $936,380
- Immigrant Health Initiative Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2026 · 4 payments $460,866
- Immigrant Heath FY21 05666 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2024 · 3 payments $322,409
- Improving Access to Health Care addressing cultural and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2020 · 4 payments $276,466
- Improving access to health care Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2022 · 3 payments $253,538
- Improving access to health care Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2025 $80,462
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2023 $435,504
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2024 $435,504
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2025 $435,504
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2026 $435,504
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2027 $435,504
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2019 $350,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2020 $350,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2021 $350,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2022 $350,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · DOHMH · FY2016 $250,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · DOHMH · FY2017 $250,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2018 $250,000
- Immigrant Opportunities Initiative Immigrant Opportunities Initiative · Dss/hra · FY2026 $225,000
- Immigrant Opportunities Initiative Immigrant Opportunities Initiative · Dss/hra · FY2027 $225,000
- Peer Specialists Support Peer Specialists Support · Dhmh · FY2026 $175,000
- Peer Specialists Support Peer Specialists Support · Dhmh · FY2027 $175,000
- Immigrant Health Initiative Immigrant Health Initiative · Dhmh · FY2022 $85,504
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2026 $50,000
- Speaker's Initiative CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DYCD · FY2027 $50,000
- Protect NYC Families Protect NYC Families · Dss/hra · FY2025 $35,714
Funded by these council members
City Council members who steered discretionary (member-item) money to this organization, largest first (FY2020 and later, where the sponsoring member is disclosed). Sitting members link to their page.
- Shahana K. Hanif FY2022-2027 · 4 awards $27,500
- Sandy Nurse FY2023-2024 · 2 awards $20,000
- Antonio Reynoso FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $15,000
- Lander FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $15,000
- Jennifer Gutiérrez FY2022-2023 · 2 awards $12,500
- Stephen Levin FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $6,000
- Mercedes Narcisse FY2025 · 1 award $5,000
- Lincoln Restler FY2022 · 1 award $3,000
Officer & key-staff pay
Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2024). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
- J Mcgregor Smyth ESQ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOr $326,706
- Ruth Lowenkron ESQ DIRECTOR, Disability Justice $236,497
- Geneva Morris Development Director $233,421
- Marinda Van Dalen Director of Litigation $214,771
- Daryl A Samuel Director Of HR & Admin $203,730
- Justin Wood Director of Policy $167,125
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +23% from FY2020 to FY2024. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.
- FY2020 J MCGREGOR Smyth Esq · 16.49% of revenue $257,164
- FY2021 J MCGREGOR Smyth Esq · 18.85% of revenue $290,458
- FY2022 J MCGREGOR Smyth Esq · 23.95% of revenue $293,457
- FY2023 J Mcgregor Smyth ESQ · 24.88% of revenue $308,708
- FY2024 J Mcgregor Smyth ESQ · 17.59% of revenue $326,706
Where their influence converges
Outside interests connected to this official through more than one independent channel — drawn straight from the records the rest of the site already shows. “Lobbied them” = a lobbying filing that named the member. “Outside spending” = an independent-expenditure committee the interest funds spent in
- James F. Gennaro It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Lynn C. Schulman It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
- Rita C. Joseph It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
- Sandy Nurse It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction