Spotlight

23 October 09	In New SBLS Housing Project, NYU Law Students To Help NYCHA Tenants Fight Eviction A new project is beginning in Fall 2009 at South Brooklyn Legal Services that will put law students from NYU on the ground in Brooklyn housing projects — representing New York City Housing Authority residents, learning about trends in housing, and giving SBLS attorneys a better feel for the problems facing low-income tenants. SBLS’ Housing Unit has recruited five law students from NYU School of Law to represent NYCHA tenants in administrative eviction proceedings. The vast majority of tenants are unrepresented at administrative hearings and either are strong-armed into signing harsh stipulations or are evicted because of their inability to adequately present their defenses. The students have been trained in the substantive area of law and are starting to represent tenants. These first five students may pave the way for more to come. If the project is successful, SBLS hopes to expand it and obtain funding from private funders who are concerned with how unjust the NYCHA hearing process can be for unrepresented tenants. NYU third-year law student Katherine Greenberg was credited by the Housing Unit with getting this project off the ground. She interned at SBLS after her first year. Afterwards Greenberg stayed in touch with SBLS, and together she and the Housing Unit devised this project. She put SBLS in contact with the Law Students for Human Rights (LSHR), helped find the five students who will be the core group during the first year, and is currently student coordinator of the project. (Housing) \| More SBLS Spotlights >

23 October 09

In New SBLS Housing Project, NYU Law Students To Help NYCHA Tenants Fight Eviction

A new project is beginning in Fall 2009 at South Brooklyn Legal Services that will put law students from NYU on the ground in Brooklyn housing projects — representing New York City Housing Authority residents, learning about trends in housing, and giving SBLS attorneys a better feel for the problems facing low-income tenants.

SBLS’ Housing Unit has recruited five law students from NYU School of Law to represent NYCHA tenants in administrative eviction proceedings.

The vast majority of tenants are unrepresented at administrative hearings and either are strong-armed into signing harsh stipulations or are evicted because of their inability to adequately present their defenses. The students have been trained in the substantive area of law and are starting to represent tenants.

These first five students may pave the way for more to come. If the project is successful, SBLS hopes to expand it and obtain funding from private funders who are concerned with how unjust the NYCHA hearing process can be for unrepresented tenants.

NYU third-year law student Katherine Greenberg was credited by the Housing Unit with getting this project off the ground. She interned at SBLS after her first year. Afterwards Greenberg stayed in touch with SBLS, and together she and the Housing Unit devised this project. She put SBLS in contact with the Law Students for Human Rights (LSHR), helped find the five students who will be the core group during the first year, and is currently student coordinator of the project.

(Housing) | More SBLS Spotlights >