Dedicated service providers, facing ever-diminishing resources, can handle only about 20 percent of the legal needs of low-income New Yorkers. With that daunting gap in mind, the New York Law Journal set out to identify the firms and attorneys who have stepped in to fill the void, who routinely assist the Legal Aid Society with individual criminal appeals; help neighbors avoid foreclosure or the loss of the car they need for work; advocate for the elderly or disabled to win Social Security disability benefits; help women escape domestic violence and rebuild their lives; challenge the government to live up to its commitments. The result of our search is "Lawyers Who Lead by Example."

Click on the link to see an Interactive Slide Show of the Honorees.