Volunteer Lawyers Project
Attorneys Interested in Volunteering

In General
Training and CLE Credits
Volunteer Service in the Resource Centers
Submit an Application
Read Testimonials from Satisfied Volunteers

In General

Housing Court’s Volunteer Lawyers Project (“VLP”) provides attorneys interested in volunteer service with a rewarding opportunity to provide legal information and advice to self-represented litigants.

After completing 9 hours of CLE certified training, volunteer lawyers work in the Housing Court’s Resource Centers under the supervision of Resource Center Court Attorneys, also known as Pro Se Attorneys. Volunteers meet with self-represented litigants, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their individual cases, and provide legal information and advice. Volunteers do not represent litigants in court proceedings or file papers on their behalf.

Volunteers need not be experienced landlord-tenant law practitioners to participate in the VLP.

If you need additional information, feel free to call or send an email to Marcelle Brandes, Esq., the Director of the Housing Court’s Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, at (646) 386-5412 or at mbrandes@courts.state.ny.us.

Training and CLE Credits

Housing Court’s Volunteer Lawyers Project (“VLP”) offers 9 free C.L.E. credit hours in “Fundamentals of Landlord-Tenant Law” to enthusiastic attorneys willing to provide legal information and advice to self-represented litigants in the Housing Courts’ Resource Centers. The 9-hour training program is taught by a team of landlord-tenant law experts in three, three-hour classes. Attendance at all three classes is a prerequisite to volunteering.

Training topics in previous seminars covered these areas:

• Nonpayment Proceedings
• Holdover Proceedings
• Rent-Regulation
• HP Proceedings
• Ethical Issues in Providing “Unbundled” Legal Services
• Introduction to the Resource Center

C.L.E. credits offered in previous seminars covered these categories:

• Ethics = 1.0
• Prof. Practice =7.5
• Skills = 0.5

Volunteer Service in the Resource Centers

In exchange for the CLE credits, attorneys commit to volunteering in one of the Housing Court’s Resource Centers for a minimum of twelve hours over the course of one year. Volunteers provide legal information and advice, but do not represent or file court papers for the litigants with whom they consult.

Volunteer lawyers select the dates, times, and court locations in which they wish to volunteer. Every effort is made to accommodate volunteers’ requests.

Volunteers serve in the Housing Court’s Resource Centers in New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx and Richmond Counties.

Resource Center locations, hours, and directions are available on the Civil Court’s web site.

Submit an Application

To register for the next training, please use the on-line application.

For information on the dates for the next scheduled Volunteer Lawyers Project training, please refer to the Training Dates.