Housing Justice Practicum

The Housing Justice Practicum (HJP) is designed to prepare students to become effective tenant advocates in the context of New York City’s escalating crisis of affordable housing and the rapid expansion of tenant-side legal services. Through the combination of a weekly seminar and a placement at a legal services provider, HJP facilitates the acquisition of concrete skills, knowledge, experience, and connections in a growing area of public interest law. In the seminar portion of HJP, students analyze the interplay between the legal-policy regimes and political-economic forces that have led to the current housing crisis, which are viewed through the lenses of economic and racial justice. The seminar also grounds students in core aspects of landlord-tenant law, including New York City’s unique system of rent regulation, and focuses on concrete lawyering skills specific to Housing Court practice. In the external placement portion of HJP, students spend time working with experienced housing attorneys at the office of a legal services provider.