GBLS' History
2025: Greater Boston Legal Services Celebrates 125 Years of Justice for All
For 125 years, Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) has been a beacon of justice and fairness in our community, providing free civil legal aid in Boston and beyond. Since its founding in 1900 as the Boston Legal Aid Society, GBLS has championed the rights of families and individuals living in poverty, tackling issues such as housing security, workers’ rights, immigration, and domestic violence.
GBLS’ impact is profound. Each year, GBLS’ dedicated attorneys and advocates provide direct legal assistance to over 11,000 individual clients. Through legislative and impact advocacy, GBLS helps level the playing field for hundreds of thousands more in the Commonwealth. From preventing evictions to securing public benefits, GBLS fights tirelessly to ensure access to justice for clients who would not otherwise be able to afford an attorney.
2025's milestone anniversary is a testament to GBLS’ unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable in our community. As GBLS looks to the future, our mission remains clear: justice should be accessible to all. The Boston legal community, including many BBA and MBA members, has played a crucial role in this work—through pro bono support, donations, and policy advocacy.
As we celebrate 125 years of impact, we also recognize the work ahead. Now more than ever, the need for civil legal aid remains urgent. Let’s continue to work together toward a more just and equitable Boston for all.
Significant Events in GBLS' History
2024 A settlement agreement is approved in the landmark disability rights class action Marsters v. Healey, brought by the co-counsel team of GBLS, the Center for Public Representation, Justice in Aging, and Foley Hoag against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of tens of thousands of individuals with disabilities who are unnecessarily institutionalized in nursing facilities. The agreement will allow thousands of people to return to the community and live in new homes with appropriate services.
2023 GBLS and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) settle Garcia v. DHCD, a lawsuit GBLS filed in 2016 on behalf of a group of unhoused families. The suit challenged the state’s failure to comply with laws that require the state to place eligible homeless families in Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter promptly and to place families close to their home communities to decrease disruption to work, school, and community.
GBLS and Massachusetts Advocates for Children successfully represent five families of Boston Public Schools (BPS) students with disabilities to argue that reliable, legally mandated transportation services were not being provided. The complaint asserts that BPS violated students’ educational rights by routinely failing to provide transportation to students with disabilities.
2018 GBLS is instrumental in passing the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Act and Paid Family Medical Leave Act.
GBLS also settles, on behalf of three child clients, a complaint against Boston Public Schools (BPS) regarding unlawful suspensions. In the S.A. et al. v. Boston Public Schools settlement agreement, BPS agrees to amend school discipline policies to reduce school suspensions, including eliminating them for very young children, as well as design, in collaboration with community groups, professional development trainings for all educational staff to increase the use of non-exclusionary, alternative discipline and emphasize the impact of exclusionary discipline, particularly on students of color and students with disabilities.
2015 GBLS helps pass the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law.
2013 GBLS settles a federal class action lawsuit against the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) for disability discrimination. Harper v. DTA advances two core claims: DTA (1) didn’t have adequate systems for providing reasonable accommodations, even when the agency agreed they were warranted; and (2) used everyday practices that screened out people with disabilities from SNAP (Food Stamps) and cash assistance programs, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The landmark agreement improves access for individuals with disabilities, with many of the changes, such as improving readability and content of all written notices and forms, benefits all clients, not just those with disabilities.
2008 GBLS represents 320 immigrant workers in a factory raid, preventing deportation and securing $850,000 in unpaid wages.
2006 GBLS settles a major class action suit against the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (T) that will greatly improve access to public transportation for the 200,000 people with disabilities who live in the T’s service area. This is particularly important for those who are poor and have no alternative form of transportation to get to work, school, or doctors appointments.
2001 GBLS donors contribute $2,000,000 to the Access to Justice Endowment Campaign to permanently endow attorney positions at GBLS.
2000 GBLS celebrates its Centennial Anniversary and pledges 100 more years of providing quality legal services to poor people in the greater Boston area.
1999 Increased giving by a broad array of donors results in staff numbers returning to pre-1996 major budget cut level. Numbers of clients served rise for the first time in three years.
1996 GBLS relinquishes $1,400,000 in federal funding due to major restrictions imposed by Congress. (Any of recipients’ funding from any source could not be used for class-action work, representing immigrants, or advocacy with state and federal agencies.)
GBLS determines we cannot fulfill our mission if we adhere to these restrictions. We choose to withdraw from receipt of federal LSC funds. This loss results in our closing our neighborhood offices and being forced to lay off 20% of our staff. GBLS and CASLS merge to reduce administrative expenses.
1994 Boston's legal community's support of its Capital Campaign enables GBLS to purchase 197 Friend Street as a permanent home.
1981 Major cuts are made to federal funding of legal services.
1976 Greater Boston Legal Services is formed by the merger of Boston Legal Aid Society and the Boston Legal Assistance Project.
1974 Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is established by Congress to fund legal services programs and becomes our primary funder.
1971 Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services (CASLS) is established.
1964 Boston Legal Assistance Project (BLAP) founded as part of the War on Poverty under the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity.
1900 A group of Boston attorneys in private practice found the Boston Legal Aid Society (BLAS) to meet the civil legal needs of the poor. BLAS primarily serves immigrants, with an emphasis on individual case work.