Volunteer Lawyers Program Attorneys Interested in Volunteering

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

In General

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

After completing 8.5 hours of CLE certified training, volunteer lawyers work in the Housing Court’s Help Centers alongside Help Center Court Attorneys. Volunteers meet with unrepresented 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 contact:
Yacine Barry, Special Counsel,
Housing Initiatives, at (646) 386-5146, or email VLPHousing@courts.state.ny.us.

Training and CLE Credits

The Housing Court’s Volunteer Lawyers Program (“VLP”) offers 8.5 free C.L.E. credit hours in “Fundamentals of Landlord-Tenant Law” to enthusiastic attorneys willing to provide legal information, and advice to unrepresented litigants in the Housing Courts’ Help Centers. The 8.5-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 the following areas:

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

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

• Ethics = 0.5
• Prof. Practice = 7.0
• Skills = 1.0

Volunteer Service in the Help Centers

In exchange for the CLE credits, attorneys commit to volunteering in one of the Housing Court’s Help Centers for a minimum of twelve hours over the course of 6 months. 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 Help Centers in New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx and Richmond Counties.

Help 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 Program training, please refer to the Training Dates.