CLRN Expands Legal Services Across Manhattan
CUNY Law’s CLRN (Community Legal Resources Network) proudly partners again with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine to expand the reach of our alumni-powered City Counseling Program.
A generous $10,000 grant from Borough President Levine now enables experienced CUNY Law alumni to provide workshops and individual counseling sessions to constituents throughout Manhattan. We are pleased to continue working with Borough President Levine and remain committed to bringing legal education, advice, and resources to Manhattan residents in collaboration with his office.
CUNY Law prides itself on teaching law in the service of human needs, and our independent contractor attorneys demonstrate their commitment to this mission in their work with New Yorkers through the City Counseling Program and in this new partnership with the Manhattan Borough President’s Office.
For over a decade, the City Counseling Program has placed experienced alumni attorneys in elected officials’ offices and trusted community-based organizations to provide legal advice and assistance to New Yorkers in need. This program exists thanks to the generous funding provided by our City Council partners and other elected officials like the Manhattan Borough President. Attorneys offer assistance on a wide range of legal issues, including housing law, labor and employment, family law, and immigration. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Counseling attorneys have provided services both in-person and virtually. Alumni present workshops, one-on-one counseling sessions, staff training, and legal assistance days. CLRN continually seeks alumni to join our pool of experienced attorneys.
This summer, Keith Allen ’09 kicked off the series by presenting a workshop on estate planning to dozens of Manhattan residents, both seniors and younger adults, at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Community Center in Upper Manhattan. This presentation provided attendees with valuable information on estate planning, will creation, and other relevant topics. The workshop was followed by individual sessions with Keith at the Manhattan Borough President’s Office to assist with drafting simple wills. Many New Yorkers lack resources to retain an attorney, and this event provided them with the information they need to make estate-planning decisions. In addition to the work with the Manhattan Borough President, Keith provides one-on-one counseling sessions to constituents of our partner Council Districts.
In September, Nicholas Edelson ’03 gave a presentation on tenants’ rights and housing court at Grand Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, providing constituents with much-needed information and updates on these pressing legal issues. Nicholas, along with other City Counseling contractors, has given similar presentations on housing law throughout the City. Both Nicholas and Keith, seasoned solo practitioners, also provide individual counseling sessions to constituents at several of our partner Council Districts. Future workshops with the Manhattan Borough President’s Office are planned on topics including family law and tenants’ associations.