Since 1969, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts has been the leading provider of educational and legal services, advocacy and mediation to the arts community. As the first arts-related legal aid organization, VLA is the model for similar organizations around the world. VLA is supported in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and through generous gifts from law firms, corporations, foundations and individuals.