General Overview
How it Works
Training & CLE Credits
Volunteer Commitment
VLFD Pilot Project
Hear What Volunteers are Saying About the Program
Submit An Application

General Overview

The Volunteer Lawyer for the Day (VLFD) Project offers self-represented litigants in nonpayment proceedings the opportunity to have lawyers represent them during their appearance in the Resolution Part of Housing Court. The project is currently operating on Tuesdays in New York County and will soon begin in Kings County. Participating lawyers provide self-represented litigants -- either tenants or owners/landlords -- with limited scope representation. In other words, the volunteer lawyer handles the portion of the litigant’s nonpayment case that takes place in the Resolution Part, not the entire matter.

By volunteering, lawyers help some of the thousands of self-represented tenants threatened with the loss of their homes and self-represented landlords in financial or other distress. Volunteer lawyers can find out what it is like to be a courtroom lawyer, even if they do not have litigation experience. Volunteer lawyers can develop client interviewing and courtroom skills.

For more information, contact: Emily Morales, Esq., Special Counsel for Housing Court Initiatives, at (646) 386-3769 or email VLFDHousing@courts.state.ny.us.

How it Works

In the VLFD Project, the volunteer lawyer and the client meet the morning of the court appearance and sign a retainer agreement for just that day’s appearance. The lawyer serves and files a Limited Notice of Appearance with the Court. The lawyer then appears on the landlord or tenant’s behalf for the day.

In the Resolution Part, parties discuss the case before a judge or court attorney to see if settlement is possible. Cases are often resolved by a Stipulation of Settlement written in court. Volunteer lawyers are supervised by a knowledgeable Program Coordinator who reviews the cases, discusses strategy, and approves the stipulations. The representation is complete at the end of the day, whether the case is resolved or not.

Training and CLE Credits

The VLFD project offers volunteer lawyers nine
FREE CLE credits, which include credits in ethics and professionalism, skills and areas of professional practice.  The CLE training will cover the following topics:

• Nonpayment Proceedings
• Ethics of Unbundled Representation
• Interviewing & Sensitivity Skills
• Courtroom Procedure
• Public Benefits
• Negotiating Techniques
• Writing Stipulations of Settlement         

Completing the CLE training is mandatory for volunteer participation in the VLFD project.

For training dates, check the Civil Court's news and announcements.

Refreshments and food will be served at all training sessions.

Volunteer Commitment

In exchange for nine CLE credits, lawyers must commit to volunteering a minimum of two days in the Resolution Part of Housing Court throughout the course of the year. A full day is however much time it takes to conclude that day's court appearance in the Resolution Part.  Generally, an appearance often ends at 1:00 p.m.  However, volunteer lawyers should be prepared to be in court from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

VLFD Pilot Project

From November 2006 - March 2007, the Civil Court, in conjunction with the Office of the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives, the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Legal Services to Persons of Moderate Means, Subcommittee on Unbundled Legal Services, and Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice and Dispute Resolution ran a pilot project, to test unbundled legal services in litigated matters as a means to alleviate unmet legal needs. The Civil Court recruited, trained and supervised volunteer lawyers to represent litigants at their initial court appearance in Housing Court. This program is modeled after the pilot project. Read the Pilot Project Report to learn more.

Hear What Volunteers are Saying About the Program

Watch a short video and hear what lawyers who have volunteered in the program said about the experience.

VIDEO (run time: 1.5 minutes, wmv format)

Text Transcript Also Available

Submit an Application

To register for the next training, please submit an application to be a Volunteer Lawyer for the Day in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Check back often to see when the program expands to other courthouses.