BALDACCI–Paris R., 76, died September 6 of complications from pancreatic cancer.
Paris was deeply loved and respected by colleagues and students. He graduated from CUNY Law school in ’87, after earning his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Marquette University in 1974.
Colleagues describe Paris as extremely thoughtful and generous, sharing his thinking, research, and wisdom throughout the legal community and advancing the rights of LGBTQIA people, as well as the rights of all people living in “non-traditional” family formations. Said Housing Conservation Coordinator attorney Maria Amor ‘17, “Paris’s name is one of the first names you come to know as an authority (and legend) in NYC housing law. His training materials have been a guiding force on how to effectively represent tenants in NYC and have largely shaped my practice. He was also very generous with advice and would always answer an email or a phone call to walk you through a tough issue.”
As an attorney, Paris specialized in landlord-tenant and housing law working at the Legal Aid Society before joining the faculty at Cardozo Law School, first as a supervising attorney in the Bet Tzedek Clinic, then establishing a Housing Rights Clinic, and finally an LGBT Litigation and Leadership Practicum, which he directed until he retired in 2015.
Professor Baldacci was a rigorous and demanding teacher, but he also stressed to his students the importance of having a full life apart from the law. He was one of the first openly gay teachers and scholars, paving the path for many students, particularly to work with the rights of people in non-traditional families.
Paris was one of the lawyers in the seminal 1989 Braschi v. Stahl Associates Case, in which the New York Court of Appeals decided that the surviving partner of a same-sex relationship counted as a family member entitled to remain in the couple’s apartment after the partner’s death. Subsequently, Professor Baldacci argued and won in the New York Court of Appeals the 1994 case Rent Stabilization Association v. Higgins that extended rent control and rent stabilization protections to members of non-traditional families. “These cases not only prevented thousands of individuals from being forced from their homes when the primary tenant died but also advanced the law of family rights and human rights, in general,” said Toby Golick, Cardozo clinical professor of law (emeritus).
Upon his retirement in 2015, Cardozo established the Paris Baldacci Scholarship, which is awarded to a Cardozo third-year or LL.M. student who has done exemplary work related to LGBTQIA rights.
He was the chair of the Housing Court Committee of the New York City Bar Association and a member of the Association’s Judiciary Committee for many years. He was also a public member of the Housing Court Advisory Council.
He is survived by his beloved husband of 37 years, Andrew S. Dolkart, and three siblings, Donna, Tommy, and Tony.
Read his full obituary here and Cardozo’s in memoriam here.