Advocating for Equal Housing Protections for New York Co-Op Homeowners: K. Scott Kohanowski, Director of CBJC’s Homeowner Stability Project, explained New York's loophole that denies at-risk co-op owners the protections afforded to similarly situated homeowners, advocating for equal protections, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click hereto read Scott’s article published in the New York Law Journal.
A Pro Bono Racial Justice Webinar: City Bar Justice Center Executive Director Kurt M. Denk, Consumer Bankruptcy Project Director Ramona Morel, and Legal Hotline Staff Attorney Miriam Lacroix teamed up to develop a 90-minute webinar, Racial Equity, Lawyer Wellness, and Pro Bono, that was first presented in January. The program, which explores key premises that connect the legal profession’s (and broader society’s) newfound emphasis on racial equity and justice, with CBJC’s fundamental mission of increasing access to justice by leveraging the resources of the New York City legal community, is available to law firms, corporate legal departments, and other partners that support CBJC’s work.Email usto learn more.
Powering Efforts to Ensure Wi-Fi Access for New Yorkers in Homeless Shelters: A comprehensive report by our Legal Clinic for the Homeless has fueled a citywide #Wifi4Homeless advocacy campaign that has successfully captured the attention of key stakeholders and has been the basis for proposed legislation. Our team is sustaining its efforts to generate action and change, recently expanding messaging urging the City to make an explicit public commitment and articulate a timeline that includes all City-funded homeless shelters and ensures shelter residents have reliable access to Wi-Fi and internet-ready devices. Learn more.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Looking Ahead: Why Lynn Kelly is Optimistic about the Future. Join Lynn M. Kelly, the City Bar Justice Center's immediate past Executive Director, for an interview about what she sees in store for the public interest legal community and her thoughts on the future of CBJC after having led the organization for 13 years. Click here to watch.
SAVE THE DATE! The City Bar Justice Center is pleased to announce its 2021 Gala will be held virtually the evening of Thursday, May 20. Help us honor and thank Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Morgan Stanley for their exemplary pro bono and public service in the past year as we celebrate all that these partners and so many others did to assist CBJC clients when the pandemic broke out last year. Email us for information on joining and supporting this event!
Ramona Morel Receives the Renaissance Award from the New York Institute of Credit (NYIC): On February 3, 2021, Ramona Morel, our Consumer Bankruptcy Project Director, received the Renaissance Award at NYIC’s 14th Annual Women in Achievements Awards virtual ceremony for being a trailblazer in her dedication to excellence in the pro bono sector, and in the legal and business profession at large. We are proud to work with this leading bankruptcy attorney who is making a difference in the legal profession and in the lives of thousands of disadvantaged New Yorkers through her unwavering commitment to economic empowerment and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Read more.
We are pleased to announce that Caitlin Miner-LeGrand will become the Deputy Director of our Immigrant Justice Project! Caitlin is a graduate of Yale Law School and clerked for SDNY Magistrate Judge Jay Francis, after which she served as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow and then Fragomen Fellow at the City Bar Justice Center. With the support of the Mother Cabrini Foundation, Caitlin will be expanding CBJC’s appellate immigration work.
Welcome Aboard! As we hit the refresh button in 2021 and gear up to expand our pro bono programming and legal services to meet the needs of our resilient clients post-COVID, the City Bar Justice Center is thrilled to be bringing on new team members. Welcome!
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
Coqui the Chef: How a Puerto-Rican Entrepreneur Learned to Adapt and Thrive During the Pandemic by Deborah Pantaleon, Project Coordinator | February 23, 2021
Small business owners face an array of challenges ranging from money management to customer retention to thorny legal questions. Tania Lopez, a client of our Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project who is no stranger to the difficulties of operating a small business, was faced with a whole new set of obstacles when the pandemic hit New York. Read her story which captures the struggles of a micro-entrepreneur who overcame the difficulties of maintaining a business during the pandemic through persistence and creativity. Read more.
CBJC MEDIA
Check out some of our latest blog posts and articles!
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The newsletter editor is Cheryl Lopez, the City Bar Justice Center's Communication and Development Manager. For questions you may reach her at cheryllopez@nycbar.org.
