If you or your law firm is interested in volunteering on any of the various matters below, please e-mail Rachel D. Jaffe, or call (212) 541-5996 for further details. Listed below is a sample of legal matters and proceedings for which HCC is seeking pro bono assistance:
I. Litigation
- Clients are two (possibly four) tenants of a large, but mostly vacant, single-room-occupancy West Side building. The tenants had their apartments vandalized and belongings stolen while temporarily vacated from their homes because of an ongoing Fire Department vacate order. Clients seek to recoup property loss and damages from the landlord due to the theft and vandalism because they believe that the landlord did not properly secure the building. HCC is representing the tenants in their Housing Part (HP) proceeding in Housing Court to seek repairs in the building. HCC cannot participate in the property loss case due to a conflict of interest.
II. Transactional matters
- This matter involves a low-income cooperative building with a corrupt board. There is an on-going dispute over who manages the building and who holds leadership positions on the board. Negotiations to resolve the disputes have failed and the co-op is currently involved in litigation in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Pursuing a shareholder derivative suit in this matter is a possibility.
III. Evening Clinics
HCC operates a Monday evening legal clinic, which provides free legal information on a variety of legal topics. HCC seeks attorneys who are interested in volunteering in that clinic. HCC staff will train the attorney; the next training session is planned for September 2008. HCC staff attorneys will supervise and organize the clinic and be available for the volunteer attorney with whatever issues arise.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Rachel D. Jaffe.
